On Tuesday, The World Health Organization warned that the pandemic would not stop if some countries have seen an omicron variation subside. It also stated that high infection rates around the globe will lead to more variants.

Many people are suggesting that omicron may be the final variant and it is now over. This is false because the virus circulates at an intense rate around the globe,” Maria Van Kerkhove (WHO’s Covid-19 technical leader) said in a Covid update held in Geneva.

According to WHO, new infections increased globally by 20% in the last week. Nearly 19 million cases were reported over that time. Van Kerkhove stated that new infections could be far more severe than those reported to WHO.

Bruce Aylward from the WHO, who is a top official in the field, stated that the virus has more chance to spread and evolve, increasing the likelihood of another variant.

Aylward explained that they don’t know the full consequences of letting it run. “The majority of our experience in uncontrolled transmission areas has shown that we were responsible for all the new variations and uncertainty we must manage.

Van Kerkhove stated that now is not a time for public health measures like masks or physical distance. To keep future outbreaks from occurring, Van Kerkhove called for governments to improve their existing measures.

Van Kerkhove declared, “If we do not act now we will go on to the next crises.” “We must end the current crisis, and that is possible right now. Don’t lose sight of the science. She said, “Don’t give up on the strategies that work and keep us safe.”

Van Kerkhove urged governments to spend more on surveillance systems in order to monitor the virus’s progress as it evolves. She stated that “This will not be the last variant” of the virus.

A team of South African scientists arrived in December. published a small studyResearch has shown that people with the omicron virus may be better at protecting themselves against the delta variant. Research is showing that people who are infected by omicron don’t become as sick as those infected from delta. The combination of increased immune protection and less severe disease could make the virus less disruptive, South African scientists suggested.

But Dr. Anthony Fauci (White House chief medical advisor) said Monday that it’s too early to determine if the last wave of pandemic will be omicron.

Fauci stated via video that she hoped that this would happen, however it is possible that another variant will not be able to evade the immune reaction of the preceding variant. Fauci spoke at the World Economic Forum’s Davos Agenda via videoconference.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreysus WHO Director General said there are new cases in some countries that indicate the end of the omicron wave. Tedros warned that no country is safe from infection and cautioned that the unprecedented wave of infected continues to impact health care systems.

Tedros stated, “I encourage everyone to try their best to minimize the risk of infection to help relieve pressure on the system.” Tedros stated, “It is not the right time to abandon the cause and fly the white flag.”

The WHO warned repeatedly that unequal vaccinations have led to lower immunization rates, especially in the developing world. It has also made the world susceptible to the development of new vaccines. According to WHO, every country should vaccinate at least 40% of its citizens by 2021. The WHO reported that 92 countries failed to meet this goal.

Tedros noted, “This pandemic has not ended and due to the phenomenal growth of Omicron worldwide, new variants will emerge. This is why monitoring and assessment are still critical.”