Health

Omicron COVID-19 variant spreading rapidly in countries with high immunity: WHO

The Omicron variant of the coronavirus is spreading significantly faster than the Delta strain in countries with documented community transmission, with a doubling time of 1.5–3 days, the World Health Organisation said on Saturday.

The Omicron variant, which was designated as a variant of concern on Nov. 26, has been identified in 89 countries across all six WHO regions as of Dec. 16, the WHO said.

Developing

Health

World News in Brief: Vaccine ‘patches’ trial shows promise, lowering catheter infection risk, Guantanamo detainee facing revictimisation

Few enjoy having injections and if you have children, you probably like them even less when it’s time for their mandated vaccine shots.

Health

No sign yet of H5N1 bird flu spreading between humans, says WHO chief

The H5N1 avian influenza virus has so far shown no signs of adapting to allow human to human transmission, the UN health agency said on Wednesday, urging continued surveillance.

Health

Patients in Rafah ‘afraid to seek services’, WHO reports

The World Health Organization (WHO) has taken “crucial steps” in the event of a large-scale Israeli military operation in Rafah, Dr. Ahmed Dahir, Team Lead of its office in Gaza, told UN News on Tuesday.