Director of the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO, Dr. Carissa Etienne, says the entity has been in touch with member countries’ Health Ministers to share details about the new coronavirus (COVID-19) variant – Omicron – and will continue to provide updates and guidance when available.
Omicron has been designated a variant of interest by the World Health Organization
Dr. Etienne said researchers globally are actively conducting studies to better understand the variant, “so we have the best available evidence to guide our actions”.
Dr. Etienne advised that Brazil and Canada are the only regional countries where Omicron has, so far, been detected, adding that other territories could begin seeing it in circulation soon.
