WHO Says Omicron In 38 Countries

The World Health Organisation says Omicron has been detected in 38 countries but there are no reported deaths so far from the new COVID-19 variant. <br />WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier says it is commendable that makers of COVID-19 vaccines are planning for the likelihood of needing to adjust their products to protect against the Omicron variant. <br />WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan urged people not to panic over the emergence of the Omicron coronavirus variant and said it was too early to say if COVID-19 vaccines would have to be modified to fight it. <br />Swaminathan says that the right response was to be prepared and cautious and not to panic in face of the new variant.