WHO says Omicron risk is still 'very high'
December 29, 2021, 8:18 am

WHO says Omicron risk is still 'very high'

WHO

The Arab News reported that the World Health Organization said Wednesday, the risk posed by the omicron variant is still “very high,” after Covid-19 case numbers shot up by 11 percent globally last week.

Tthe WHO said in its Covid-19 weekly epidemiological update, Omicron is behind rapid virus spikes in several countries, including those where it has already overtaken the previously-dominant Delta variant.

The UN health agency said: “The overall risk related to the new variant of concern omicron remains very high.”

“Consistent evidence shows that the omicron variant has a growth advantage over the Delta variant with a doubling time of two to three days and rapid increases in the incidence of cases is seen in a number of countries,” including Britain and the United States, where it has become the dominant variant.

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“The rapid growth rate is likely to be a combination of both immune evasion and intrinsic increased transmissibility of the omicron variant.”

However, the WHO highlighted the 29 percent decrease in the incidence of cases observed in South Africa — the country which first reported the variant to the WHO on November 24.

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It said early data from Britain, South Africa and Denmark — which currently has the world’s highest rate of infection per person — suggested there was a reduced risk of hospitalization for omicron compared to Delta.

However, further data was needed to understand omicron’s severity in terms of clinical markers, including the use of oxygen, mechanical ventilation and death.

More data was also required on how the severity might be being impacted by previous Covid infection, or vaccination.

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The WHO said: “It is also expected that corticosteroids and interleukin 6 receptor blockers will remain effective in the management of patients with severe disease.”

“However, preliminary data suggest that monoclonal antibodies may be less able to neutralize the omicron variant.”

The WHO said that in the week ending Sunday, following a gradual increase since October, the global number of new cases rose by 11 percent compared to the previous week, while the number of new deaths dipped by four percent.

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The Geneva-based organization said: “This corresponds to just under five million new cases and over 44,000 new deaths.”

It should be noted that the highest numbers of new cases were reported from the United States, Britain, France and Italy.

Source: arabnews

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”