WHO fears Omicron-Delta ‘tsunami’ may wreck healthcare systems, docs & nurses also hit

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The simultaneous spread of the Delta and Omicron variants of the coronavirus is creating a "tsunami of cases" that continue to put immense pressure on health systems that are already on the brink of collapse, the WHO warned on Wednesday.</p>
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"Delta and Omicrom are now twin threats driving up cases to record numbers, leading to spikes in hospitalisation and deaths," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference.</p>
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He said the pressure on health systems was not only due to new coronavirus patients, but also large numbers of health workers falling ill with Covid.</p>
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The WHO said over 6.5 million cases new cases had been recorded worldwide in the week between Dec 22-28, while the United States and France both registered a record number of daily infections on Wednesday.</p>
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Tedros said countries must share vaccines more equitably and warned that the emphasis on boosters in richer countries could leave poorer nations short of doses.</p>
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He said the WHO was campaigning for every country to hit a target of 70% vaccine coverage by the middle of 2022, which would help end the acute phase of the pandemic.</p>
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More than 281 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and more than 5 million have died since the outbreak of the pandemic, according to a Reuters tally.</p>
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<strong>Also read: </strong> <a href="https://www.indianarrative.com/health-news/explainer-why-omicron-is-milder-than-delta-137109.html">Explainer: Why Omicron is milder than Delta</a></p>