World must heed WHO’s warning about Omicron

As many countries around the world have been experiencing fresh surges in Covid-19 cases–propelled by the highly transmissible Omicron variant–and have brought back restrictions to curb further spread of the infections, Bangladesh should also take necessary preparations to deal with any fresh surge of infections. Reportedly, the WHO has warned the world about the threat Omicron poses, saying that it may lead to overwhelmed healthcare systems worldwide.

Even though early studies suggest that Omicron leads to milder disease, China and Germany have already brought back tough restrictions to prevent new infections caused by this variant. Reportedly, China has been following a "zero Covid" strategy–the country has already put hundreds of thoUSnds of its people under strict lockdown despite the fact that the country is facing a much smaller outbreak compared to many European countries. While France has ordered firms to have employees work from home at least three days a week, other European nations such as Sweden, Finland, Denmark have also brought back fresh curbs despite the fact that these may put their economy in further stress.

At a time when nations around the world are working hard for economic recovery and trying to strike a balance between economically punishing restrictions and controlling the spread of the virus, such fresh surges in Covid-19 cases are truly concerning. And as countries with weaker healthcare systems are particularly vulnerable to this new threat, Bangladesh must take WHO's warning seriously.

While we must not panic about this new variant, we should definitely be well prepared to fight against it. Already seven cases of Omicron have been detected in the country; if we fail to take the precautionary measures in time, the situation might get worse in a short span of time.

Since vaccination is one of the ways to stop the virus from wreaking havoc on our population, the authorities must put all-out efforts to vaccinate as many people as possible in the shortest possible time. The government has already started giving booster shots to those most vulnerable to the virus. While we commend the initiative, we would also like to stress the need for preparing our healthcare system to handle any further surge in infections. Preparing our hospitals and health complexes with the lifesaving drugs, oxygen cylinders and other necessary equipment must be prioritised right now.

Moreover, as countries around the world are putting restrictions on travel and gatherings, authorities in Bangladesh must also consider taking such measures as part of their preparations to deal with the situation.