Covid-19: 90% of the world's population has some form of immunity
The World Health Organization estimates that at least 90% of the world's population has some form of immunity to Covid-19 (photo illustration).
AP - Martial Trezzina
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
Three years after the beginnings of the Covid-19 pandemic, some 90% of the world's population is at least partially immune to the virus, according to the World Health Organization, which nevertheless warns of the decline in vigilance while many variants are in circulation.
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According to the Director General of the
World Health
Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, "
at least 90% of the world's population currently has some form of immunity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, thanks to previous infection. or vaccination
.
The WHO chief spoke at a press conference on Friday, December 2, just over three years after the
Covid-19 pandemic began
.
However, this figure should not encourage States to let their guard down.
For Tedros Adhanom Ghebreysus, it is premature to say that the emerging phase of the pandemic is over.
"
We are not there yet
," he said.
The risks of a new variant
More than 8,500 deaths from Covid-19 were recorded last week, a report deplored by the head of the WHO.
For him, "
this is not acceptable after three years of a pandemic, when we have so many tools to prevent infections and save lives
".
The current decline in vigilance could pave the way for the emergence of a new variant, due to "
gaps in surveillance, testing, sequencing and vaccination
".
A variant that could supplant the highly contagious Omicron and "
cause significant mortality
", according to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreysus.
The WHO lists more than 500
subvariants of Omicron
at present.
They present mutations against which the immune barriers are less resistant.
(
With
AFP)
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