Possibility of new COVID-19 variants really high, warns WHO
Geneva, Feb 9: Describing the new COVID-19 variants as the "wild card", a top World Health Organisation official has warned that the Omicron will not be the last one and the possibility of other new variants is really high.
During a question and answer session live streamed on WHO's social media platforms on Tuesday, the WHO COVID-19 Technical Lead Maria Van Kerkhove said that the global health agency is tracking four different versions of Omicron.
"We know a lot about this virus, but we don't know everything. And quite frankly, the variants are the wild card. So we are tracking this virus in real time as it mutates as it changes But this virus has a lot of room to move," she said.
"Omicron is the latest variant of concern. It will not be the last variant of concern that WHO will speak about. The next one, you know, that will come hopefully, it will take some time to get there. But with the level of intensity of spread, the possibility that we will have other variants is really high, she said.
"So we need to ensure that we again, not only increase vaccination coverage, but we also take measures to reduce the spread, she added.
Since the designation of B.1.1.529 as a variant of concern on November 26, 2021, several lineages have been identified. These include Pango lineages BA.1, BA.1.1, BA.2 and BA.3, which are all being monitored by WHO under the umbrella of Omicron'.
"BA.2 is more transmissible than BA.1 so we expect to see BA.2 increasing in detection around the world, Van Kerkhove said.
According to the UN health agency's weekly epidemiological report, released on Tuesday, the Omicron variant is increasingly dominant - making up nearly 97 per cent of all cases.
"The prevalence of the Omicron variant has increased globally and is now detected in almost all countries. However, many of the countries which reported an early rise in the number of cases due to the Omicron variant have now reported a decline in the total number of new cases since the beginning of January 2022, it said.
Globally, during the week of January 31 to February 6, the number of new COVID-19 cases decreased by 17 per cent as compared to the number reported during the previous week, while the number of new deaths increased by 7 per cent.
As of February 6, over 392 million confirmed cases and over 5.7 million deaths have been reported globally.
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Puttur: BJP expels leader PG Jagannivas Rao for not getting accused son to marry victim
Mangaluru: BJP District President Satish Kumpala has stated that Puttur leader PG Jagannivas Rao is being expelled from the party for failing to ensure his son, Shrikrishna J Rao, who is charged with impregnating a girl, marries the victim.
Shrikrishna, who was accused of having sexual intercourse with a classmate on the pretext of marriage and abandoning her after finding that she was pregnant, has been released on bail. The DNA test report of the child, meanwhile, confirmed that the blood samples showed Shrikrishna to be the father of the child.
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Speaking at a press meet on Monday, Kumpala said that immediately on learning of his son’s misconduct, Rao was issued a notice and distanced from the rest of the party. “In response, Rao had assured that if the DNA test proved his son to be guilty of sexual intercourse on the pretext of marriage, he would take the initiative of getting the young couple married in Puttur. Rao had also promised to do so to Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai,” he added.
“Rao, however, has failed to fulfil his promise. We have, therefore, decided to expel him from the party,” said Kumpala, adding that the party members would fight till the victim gets justice in the matter.
Former Mangaluru City Corporation Mayor Sudheer Shetty Kannur and leaders Vasantha J Poojary and Arun G Shet were among those present at the press meet.
