<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="740" height="416" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/106999263-1641855626749-bour.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-414522" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/106999263-1641855626749-bour.jpg 740w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/106999263-1641855626749-bour-300x169.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/106999263-1641855626749-bour-160x90.jpg 160w" sizes="(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /><figcaption>Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla talks during a press conference with European Commission President after a visit to oversee the production of the Pfizer-BioNtech Covid-19 vaccine at the factory of US pharmaceutical company Pfizer, in Puurs, on April 23, 2021. John Thys | AFP | Getty Images</figcaption></figure>



Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla on Monday said two doses of the company’s vaccine may not provide strong protection against infection from the omicron Covid variant, and the original shots have also lost some of their efficacy at preventing hospitalization.



Bourla, in an interview at J.P. Morgan’s healthcare conference, emphasized the importance of a third shot to boost people’s protection against omicron.



“The two doses, they’re not enough for omicron,” Bourla said. “The third dose of the current vaccine is providing quite good protection against deaths, and decent protection against hospitalizations.”



Bourla said omicron is a more difficult target than previous variants. Omicron, which has dozens of mutations, can evade some of the protection provided by Pfizer’s original two shots.



“We have seen with a second dose very clearly that the first thing that we lost was the protection against infections,” Bourla said. “But then two months later, what used to be very strong in hospitalization also went down. And I think this is what everybody’s worried about.”



Real-world data from the United Kingdom has found that two vaccine doses are 52% effective at preventing hospitalization 25 weeks after receiving the second shot, according to data from the U.K. Health Security Agency.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-pfizer-executives-say-covid-could-become-endemic-by-2024">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/pfizer-executives-say-covid-could-become-endemic-by-2024/">Pfizer executives say Covid could become endemic by 2024</a></h3>



Two-doses of Pfizer or Moderna’s vaccines are only about 10% effective at preventing infection from omicron 20 weeks after the second dose, according to the U.K. data.



A booster dose, on the other hand, is up to 75% effective at preventing symptomatic infection and 88% effective at preventing hospitalization, according to the data.



However, Bourla said it’s unclear how long a booster dose will provide protection against Covid. The U.K. Health Security Agency also found that boosters are only 40% to 50% effective against infection 10 weeks after receiving the shot.



“The question mark, it is how long that protection lasts with the third dose,” Bourla said.



The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now recommending that some people with compromised immune systems receive four shots, three primary doses and one booster. Israel has rolled out fourth Pfizer doses for people over the age of 60. Israel found that fourth doses increase protective antibodies fivefold.



Bourla told CNBC earlier Monday that Pfizer will have a vaccine that specifically targets omicron ready in March, though he said it’s not clear whether it will be needed or not.



Bourla also told CNBC more tests need to be done to determine whether or not fourth doses are necessary.

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Pfizer CEO says two Covid vaccine doses aren’t ‘enough for omicron’

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="479" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/106998467-1641582068040-gettyimages-1237588379-AFP_9VR3ZP-820x479.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-414514" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/106998467-1641582068040-gettyimages-1237588379-AFP_9VR3ZP-820x479.jpeg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/106998467-1641582068040-gettyimages-1237588379-AFP_9VR3ZP-300x175.jpeg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/106998467-1641582068040-gettyimages-1237588379-AFP_9VR3ZP-154x90.jpeg 154w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/106998467-1641582068040-gettyimages-1237588379-AFP_9VR3ZP-768x449.jpeg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/106998467-1641582068040-gettyimages-1237588379-AFP_9VR3ZP-1536x897.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/106998467-1641582068040-gettyimages-1237588379-AFP_9VR3ZP-scaled.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Photo: via CNBC</figcaption></figure>



Moderna is working on a booster shot that will target the omicron variant of Covid for this fall as nations around the world prepare to distribute annual vaccinations against the virus.



“We are discussing with public health leaders around the world to decide what we think is the best strategy for the potential booster for the fall of 2022. We believe it will contain omicron,” CEO Stephane Bancel told CNBC’s Squawk Box.



Bancel said the omicron specific booster will enter clinical trials soon, and Moderna is discussing whether the shot needs to contain any other components to fight the virus.



“We need to be careful to try to stay ahead of a virus and not behind the virus,” Bancel said.



Moderna has signed advanced purchase agreements with upfront payments worth $18.5 billion with the United Kingdom, South Korea, Switzerland recently ordering shots for this fall. Bancel said Moderna can supply 2 billion to 3 billion booster doses this year.



“There are discussions ongoing on a daily basis. We want to be ready with the best product possible for the fall of ’22,” Bancel said.



Real-world data from the United Kingdom has shown that boosters are up to 75% effective at protecting against symptomatic infection from omicron, according to a recent study from the U.K. Health Security Agency.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-omicron-covid-variant-likely-circulating-for-longer-and-more-widely-than-thought-experts-say">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/omicron-covid-variant-likely-circulating-for-longer-and-more-widely-than-thought-experts-say/">Omicron Covid variant likely circulating for longer — and more widely — than thought, experts say</a></h3>



The original two-dose vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer, on the other hand, are only about 10% effective at preventing symptomatic infection 20 weeks after the second dose, according to the study. However, the original two doses still provide good protection against severe illness.



The world is currently suffering from an unprecedented wave of infection due to omicron, which has dozens of mutations that allow it to avoid the immune protection induced by the original shots. The World Health Organization has said that omicron is spreading faster than any other previous variant of the virus.



The WHO has set a goal of vaccinating 70% of every nation’s population by the middle of this year. The global health body has been critical of wealthy nations rolling out broad booster campaigns, urging world leaders to focus on making sure as many people as possible around the world, particularly in low-income nations, have received the initial shots.



Bancel said the supply of vaccines was constrained for most of 2021 but that is no longer the case. The main challenge now is distribution, or actually getting those shots into people’s arms. Bancel said Moderna had between 50 million and 100 million doses waiting for shipment to low-income countries on any given day in November.



“There’s been a lot of issues on the distribution and deployment of those vaccines,” Bancel said.



The Moderna CEO said the African Union decided to turn down 60 million doses the company reserved for the continent for the second quarter.



“The reason for that is between the Covax orders, the donations from Europe, the donations from China, the donations from the U.S. government. They have way more vaccine that they need to get to the 70% vaccination rates in those countries,” Bancel said.



Covax is an international initiative led by the WHO and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations to speed up the manufacture and development of Covid vaccines and guarantee equal access for countries around the world.

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Moderna working with world health leaders on Covid booster that targets omicron for this fall, CEO says

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="740" height="416" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/106998810-1641813085559-gettyimages-1237592684-INDIA_PCR_LAB.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-414510" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/106998810-1641813085559-gettyimages-1237592684-INDIA_PCR_LAB.jpeg 740w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/106998810-1641813085559-gettyimages-1237592684-INDIA_PCR_LAB-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/106998810-1641813085559-gettyimages-1237592684-INDIA_PCR_LAB-160x90.jpeg 160w" sizes="(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /><figcaption>Covid lab technicians in India on Friday Jan. 7, 2022. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images</figcaption></figure>



Global health experts are casting doubts over reports of a new possible Covid-19 mutation that appeared to be a combination of both the delta and omicron variants, dubbed as “deltacron,” saying it’s more likely that the “strain” is the result of a lab processing error.



At the weekend it was reported that a researcher in Cyprus had discovered the potential new variant. Bloomberg News said Saturday that Leondios Kostrikis, professor of biological sciences at the University of Cyprus, had called the strain “deltacron,” because of its omicron-like genetic signatures within the delta genomes.



Kostrikis and his team said they had found 25 cases of the mutation, with the report adding that at the time it was too early to tell whether there were more cases of the apparent new strain or what impact it could have. Bloomberg reported that the findings had been sent to Gisaid, an international database that tracks changes in the virus, on Jan. 7.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-deltacron-not-real">Deltacron ‘not real’</h2>



Some experts have since cast doubt over the findings, with one World Health Organization official tweeting Sunday that “deltacron,” which was trending on the social media platform on the weekend, is “not real” and “is likely due to sequencing artifact,” a variation introduced by a nonbiological process.



WHO Covid expert Dr. Krutika Kuppalli said on Twitter that, in this case, there was likely to have been a “lab contamination of Omicron fragments in a Delta specimen.”



In another tweet, she noted wryly, “Let’s not merge of names of infectious diseases and leave it to celebrity couples”



Other scientists have agreed that the findings could be the result of a lab error, with virologist Dr. Tom Peacock from Imperial College London also tweeting that “the Cypriot ‘Deltacron’ sequences reported by several large media outlets look to be quite clearly contamination.”



In another tweet, he noted that “quite a few of us have had a look at the sequences and come to the same conclusion it doesn’t look like a real recombinant,” referring to a possible rearrangement of genetic material.



Fatima Tokhmafshan, a geneticist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre in Montreal, agreed, tweeting that “this is NOT a recombinant” but “rather lab contamination b/c [because] looking at recent GISAID submission from Cyprus the clustering &amp; mutational profile indicate NO mutation consensus.”



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/omicron-covid-variant-likely-circulating-for-longer-and-more-widely-than-thought-experts-say/">Omicron Covid variant likely circulating for longer — and more widely — than thought, experts say</a></h3>



Another high-profile scientist, Dr. Boghuma Kabisen Titanji, an infectious diseases expert at Emory University in Atlanta, advised a cautionary approach, tweeting Sunday that “On the #deltacron story, just because I have been asked about it many times in the last 24h, please interpret with caution. The information currently available is pointing to contamination of a sample as opposed to true recombination of #delta and #omicron variants.”



However, she also noted that a possible mixing of the genetic material belonging to the delta and omicron variants is a possibility as both strains continue to circulate, and is a concerning proposition.



“Recombination can occur in coronaviruses. The enzyme that replicates their genome has a tendency to slip-off the RNA strand it is copying and then rejoining where it left off. With #delta and #omicron both in circulation, dual infection with both variants increases this concern,” she tweeted.



For his part, the scientist who announced he had discovered “deltacron” has defended his findings, telling Bloomberg on Sunday that the findings are not the result of a “technical error.”



In an emailed statement, Kostrikis said the cases he has identified “indicate an evolutionary pressure to an ancestral strain to acquire these mutations and not a result of a single recombination event.”

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Experts cast doubts over reported ‘deltacron’ variant, say likely due to lab contamination

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="553" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/645QSNVIZZIOHA7KRDZJNBZPGU-820x553.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-414424" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/645QSNVIZZIOHA7KRDZJNBZPGU-820x553.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/645QSNVIZZIOHA7KRDZJNBZPGU-300x202.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/645QSNVIZZIOHA7KRDZJNBZPGU-133x90.jpg 133w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/645QSNVIZZIOHA7KRDZJNBZPGU-768x518.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/645QSNVIZZIOHA7KRDZJNBZPGU-1536x1036.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/645QSNVIZZIOHA7KRDZJNBZPGU-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>FILE PHOTO: John Nkengasong, Africa&#8217;s Director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), speaks during an interview with Reuters at the African Union (AU) Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 11, 2020. Picture taken March 11, 2020. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, Jan 6 (Reuters) &#8211; Africa&#8217;s top public health official said on Thursday that severe lockdowns were no longer the best way to contain COVID-19, praising South Africa for adopting that approach when responding to its latest infection wave driven by the Omicron variant.



&#8220;We are very encouraged with what we saw in South Africa during this period where they look at the data in terms of severity (of infections),&#8221; John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), told a news conference.



&#8220;The period where we are using severe lockdowns as a tool is over. We should actually be looking at how we use public health and social measures more carefully and in a balanced way as the vaccination increases.&#8221;



South Africa experienced a steep rise in COVID-19 infections from late November, around the time it alerted the world to Omicron, with new infections peaking in mid-December at an all-time record.



But new cases have since fallen back, and the government did not resort to strict restrictions as it did during previous infection waves given early signs that the bulk of Omicron infections had been mild. It even loosened rules before New Year&#8217;s Eve.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-pfizer-executives-say-covid-could-become-endemic-by-2024">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/pfizer-executives-say-covid-could-become-endemic-by-2024/">Pfizer executives say Covid could become endemic by 2024</a></h3>



Nkengasong added that he feared that COVID-19 could become endemic on the continent given the slow pace of vaccination &#8211; a prospect many global scientists already talk of as a given.



&#8220;Unless &#8230; by the end of this year the continent actually scales up its vaccination to above 70% or 80%, my worry is that we might &#8230; be into a scenario where COVID becomes endemic,&#8221; he said.



Experts believe COVID-19 cannot be eliminated and will likely become endemic, meaning it will always be present in the population to some degree, such as the flu or chickenpox.



Less than 10% of Africa&#8217;s population has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the latest Africa CDC figures show, with many countries initially struggling to access sufficient shots and later battling to get them into arms.



There has been a 36% average increase in new cases reported in Africa over the last 4 weeks, with an 8% average increase in new deaths. 



(Editing by Alison Williams and Nick Macfie)

FILE PHOTO: John Nkengasong, Africa’s Director of the Centers for Disease Control, speaks during an interview with Reuters at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa

Africa CDC says severe lockdowns no longer tool to contain COVID-19

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="740" height="416" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/106856739-1616173513013-2021-01-21T215821Z_1680369366_RC2LCL9VIIQA_RTRMADP_3_USA-BIDEN.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-414416" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/106856739-1616173513013-2021-01-21T215821Z_1680369366_RC2LCL9VIIQA_RTRMADP_3_USA-BIDEN.jpg 740w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/106856739-1616173513013-2021-01-21T215821Z_1680369366_RC2LCL9VIIQA_RTRMADP_3_USA-BIDEN-300x169.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/106856739-1616173513013-2021-01-21T215821Z_1680369366_RC2LCL9VIIQA_RTRMADP_3_USA-BIDEN-160x90.jpg 160w" sizes="(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /><figcaption>NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci addresses the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, January 21, 2021. Jonathan Ernst | Reuters</figcaption></figure>



White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci on Wednesday said a growing body of data indicates that the Covid omicron variant is less severe than the delta strain, but cautioned that hospitals could still face stress through the unprecedented number of new infections sweeping across the U.S.



“Multiple sources of now-preliminary data indicate a decrease severity with omicron,” Fauci told the public during a Covid update from the White House response team. “However, we really do need more definitive assessment of severity with longer-term follow up here and in different countries.”



Fauci cited a study from Ontario, Canada, that found the risk of hospitalization or death was 65% lower among people infected with omicron compared with individuals who caught delta. The risk of admission to an intensive care unit or death from omicron was 83% lower, according to the study.



Fauci also pointed to a study from South Africa that found about 5% of infections during the omicron wave resulted in hospital admission, compared with 14% during delta. Patients admitted to the hospital during the omicron wave were 73% less likely to have severe disease compared with the delta wave, according to the data.



Fauci said the lung infection from omicron appears less severe than previous variants, citing recent animal studies of mice and hamsters.



“It was shown that the virus of omicron proliferates very well in the upper airway and bronchi, but actually very poorly in the lungs,” Fauci said. While this does not definitively prove omicron is more mild, it is consistent with the variant transmitting very quickly but causing less severe lung infections,” he said.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-omicron-poses-very-high-global-risk-world-must-prepare-who">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/omicron-poses-very-high-global-risk-world-must-prepare-who/">Omicron poses “very high” global risk, world must prepare -WHO</a></h3>



Fauci said the omicron variant also appears less severe for children when compared with delta. However, he cautioned that hospitalizations are rising among kids, mostly the unvaccinated, because omicron is so contagious. He urged parents of children ages 5 to 17 make sure their kids are immunized against Covid.



Fauci warned that even if omicron proves less severe, the variant is spreading so quickly that it could still produce a large number of patients who do require hospital care, straining the nation’s health-care system.



The U.S. reported more than 869,000 new Covid infections on Tuesday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The nation is reporting a seven-day average of more than 553,000 new infections every day, more than double the previous week and a pandemic record, according to a CNBC analysis of data from Johns Hopkins.



“A certain proportion of a large volume of cases no matter what are going to be severe,” Fauci said. “So don’t take this as a signal that we can pull back from the recommendations.”



About 110,000 Americans are hospitalized with Covid, according to a seven-day average of data from the Department of Health and Human Services as of Wednesday, up 39% over the past week. Though rising sharply, that figure is still below peak levels seen during last winter’s surge, when hospitalizations topped 137,000 in early January 2021.



Fauci cautioned against complacency, urging the public to follow public health guidance by getting vaccinated, boosted and wearing a mask.

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Fauci says multiple preliminary studies find omicron is less severe than delta

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="740" height="416" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/106913464-1626783928878-gettyimages-1233680604-AVDjune7.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-410942" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/106913464-1626783928878-gettyimages-1233680604-AVDjune7.jpeg 740w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/106913464-1626783928878-gettyimages-1233680604-AVDjune7-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/106913464-1626783928878-gettyimages-1233680604-AVDjune7-140x80.jpeg 140w" sizes="(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /><figcaption>In this Photo illustration a World Health Organization(WHO) logo seen displayed on an Android phone.
Avishek Das | Getty Images</figcaption></figure>



GENEVA &#8211; More evidence is emerging that the Omicron coronavirus variant is affecting the upper respiratory tract, causing milder symptoms than previous variants, a World Health Organization official said on Tuesday.



&#8220;We are seeing more and more studies pointing out that Omicron is infecting the upper part of the body. Unlike the other ones, that could cause severe pneumonia,&#8221; WHO Incident Manager Abdi Mahamud told Geneva-based journalists, saying it could be &#8220;good news&#8221;.



However, he added that Omicron&#8217;s high transmissibility means it will become dominant within weeks in many places, posing a threat in countries where a high portion of the population remains unvaccinated.



His remarks on the reduced risks of severe disease chime with other data including a study from South Africa which was one of the first countries where Omicron was detected.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-officials-offer-vaccine-reassurance-who-advises-against-travel-bans">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/officials-offer-vaccine-reassurance-who-advises-against-travel-bans/">Officials offer vaccine reassurance; WHO advises against travel bans</a></h3>



However, Mahamud also sounded a note of caution, calling South Africa an &#8220;outlier&#8221; since it has a young population among other factors.



Asked about whether an Omicron-specific vaccine was needed, Mahamud said it was too early to say but stressed that the decision required global coordination and should not be left to the commercial sector to decide alone.



Earlier this week, Division of Medical Virology and Groote Schuur Complex of the National Health Laboratory Service Dr Marvin Hsiao said, “Covid-19 cases in South Africa are declining overall as we have passed the peak.



“However, the reduced testing over the last week and the gathering over the festive season can still have an impact on the epidemic trajectory. If there is a resurgence of infections from New Year celebrations we would expect to see an increase in cases in the next 10 days and hospitalisations in the week after.”

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Omicron’s high transmissibility means it will ’become dominant within weeks’

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="740" height="416" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/106992497-1640125861088-gettyimages-1360262889-_em18909_20211221123642770.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-414396" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/106992497-1640125861088-gettyimages-1360262889-_em18909_20211221123642770.jpeg 740w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/106992497-1640125861088-gettyimages-1360262889-_em18909_20211221123642770-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/106992497-1640125861088-gettyimages-1360262889-_em18909_20211221123642770-160x90.jpeg 160w" sizes="(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /><figcaption>A COVID-19 vaccination card holder is handed out at a pop-up COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Larry Flynt’s Hustler Club on December 21, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ethan Miller | Getty Images</figcaption></figure>



If 2021 was the year of vaccine development, 2022 will be a year marked by vaccinations and booster shots, according to a leading expert.



“2022 will be the year of vaccination — either primary for people who haven’t been vaccinated, or booster vaccinations for those of us who have,” said Jerome Kim, director general of the International Vaccine Institute, an independent non-profit devoted to research on vaccines for poor countries.



Hopefully, it will also mark the year when anti-Covid drugs will come to the fore, and make treatment more effective, Kim told CNBC’s “Street Signs Asia” on Monday.



In late December, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized two antiviral pills to treat Covid-19 for emergency use, marking a milestone in the battle against the coronavirus that has killed more than 5.4 million people worldwide since emerging in late 2019.



Pfizer’s Covid oral treatment pill, called Paxlovid, was the first oral antiviral drug to be cleared for emergency use in the U.S. Another was Merck’s antiviral pill — known as molnupiravir — which was approved for use in adults with mild to moderate Covid at risk of severe disease.



As 2021 drew to a close, the more-transmissible omicron variant emerged, and cases around the world have surged in recent weeks.



Last week, the caseload in the U.S. hit a record high. Nationwide daily new cases were at a record seven-day average of more than 265,000 as of Tuesday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. It surpassed the previous high mark of about 252,000 average daily cases set on Jan. 11 last year, the data showed.



In Asia, South Korea said Friday that it will extend restrictions after a surge in serious Covid infections.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-getting-vaccines-to-those-who-need-it"><a></a>Getting vaccines to those who need it</h2>



The key priority in 2022 is getting vaccines to people who need it — especially those in poorer countries who have limited access to them, Kim said.



“A really critical point to make — omicron is not the omega and we are going to see additional mutants and variants of concern, and hopefully we become more equitable in the use of vaccines,” he said.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/officials-offer-vaccine-reassurance-who-advises-against-travel-bans/">Officials offer vaccine reassurance; WHO advises against travel bans</a></h3>



“Increasingly, supply [of vaccines] will not be the issue. The issue will be: Who can get that vaccine into the arms of people who need the vaccination. That’s going to be the key for 2022, it’s getting people vaccinated,” Kim said, adding there’s a “significant number of people” in low income countries, who have not received a single vaccine dose.



About 58.3% of the world’s population has received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine, but only 8.5% of people in low income countries have been inoculated with at least one dose, according to Our World in Data.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><a></a>World must tackle ‘diagnostics gap’</h2>



Kim also highlighted a so-called “diagnostics gap” at the diagnosis stage of Covid-19.



“That implies that in lower income countries, they don’t do as many tests and they definitely don’t do as many sequences,” he said. Such genomic sequencing efforts of coronavirus case samples help track new variants.



He added that countries need to get “much better at addressing” such a divide.



“It’s the sequencing of variants from all over the world that allow scientists to know if a new worrisome variant is emerging,” Kim said. “Getting on top of it as quickly as possible is key if we want to open up, because we know that air travel does fairly efficiently spread the coronavirus.”

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2022 will be the ‘year of vaccination,’ says director of vaccine institute

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="740" height="416" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/106446181-1584374084821gettyimages-1206555421.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-414383" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/106446181-1584374084821gettyimages-1206555421.jpeg 740w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/106446181-1584374084821gettyimages-1206555421-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/106446181-1584374084821gettyimages-1206555421-160x90.jpeg 160w" sizes="(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /><figcaption>World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus talks during a daily press briefing on COVID-19 virus at the WHO headquaters in Geneva on March 11, 2020. Fabrice Coffrini | AFP | Getty Images</figcaption></figure>



The World Health Organization warned Wednesday that new coronavirus variants could emerge during the pandemic that render the current vaccines useless.



“As this pandemic drags on, it’s possible that new variants could evade our countermeasures and become fully resistant to current vaccines or past infection, necessitating vaccine adaptations,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference in Geneva.



Tedros sounded that alarm as Covid cases hit record highs in many nations, including in the U.S. The latest surge, coming more than 21 months after WHO first declared Covid a pandemic, is fueled by the spread of the new and highly transmissible omicron variant.



Tedros reiterated his frequent calls for nations to work together to improve global supplies and access to Covid vaccines and other crucial health equipment.



He also slammed the “populism” and “short-term nationalism” of some political leaders that he said has “undermined equity and created the ideal conditions for the emergence of new variants.”



“Misinformation and disinformation, often spread by a small number of people, have been a constant distraction undermining science and trust in lifesaving health tools,” the world health leader said.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-world-faces-an-anxious-wait-as-covid-vaccine-makers-prepare-for-omicron-variant">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/world-faces-an-anxious-wait-as-covid-vaccine-makers-prepare-for-omicron-variant/">World faces an anxious wait as Covid vaccine makers prepare for omicron variant</a></h3>



He noted that “in the huge waves of cases currently seen in Europe and in many countries around the world, misinformation which has driven vaccine hesitancy is now translating to the unvaccinated disproportionately dying.”



Covid vaccines such as Pfizer and BioNTech’s shots are still effective at preventing severe disease from omicron, experts say, but they are much less effective at preventing infection from omicron. Booster shots, on the other hand, significantly increase protection from symptomatic disease caused by omicron.



If a vaccine-resistant strain of the virus emerges, manufacturers will have to tweak their shots, which “would potentially mean a new supply shortage,” Tedros warned Wednesday.



It is important for nations to build up their local manufacturing supply of vaccines before that happens, he said.



“This virus will continue to evolve and threaten our health system if we don’t improve the collective response,” Tedros said. “I’m highly concerned that omicron, being more transmissible, circulating at the same time as delta, is leading to a tsunami of cases.”



Vaccine supplies are currently improving, he said, while repeating his criticism that rich countries’ booster-shot programs are making it harder for poor nations to obtain any vaccines. That growing inequity could prolong the pandemic.



Despite the ongoing public-health threat and the possibility of future challenges, Tedros said he is “optimistic” the acute stage of the pandemic can end in 2022.

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WHO warns new Covid variants could emerge that are fully resistant to vaccines as pandemic drags on

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="740" height="416" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/106991065-1639767426813-gettyimages-1237291853-AFP_9UV2NC.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-414369" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/106991065-1639767426813-gettyimages-1237291853-AFP_9UV2NC.jpg 740w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/106991065-1639767426813-gettyimages-1237291853-AFP_9UV2NC-300x169.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/106991065-1639767426813-gettyimages-1237291853-AFP_9UV2NC-160x90.jpg 160w" sizes="(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /><figcaption>A man receives a nasal swab during a test for Covid-19 at a street-side testing booth in New York on December 17, 2021. Ed Jones | AFP | Getty Images</figcaption></figure>



U.S. health officials on Monday cut isolation restrictions for Americans who catch the coronavirus from 10 to five days, and similarly shortened the time that close contacts need to quarantine.



Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said the guidance is in keeping with growing evidence that people with the coronavirus are most infectious in the two days before and three days after symptoms develop.



The decision also was driven by a recent surge in Covid-19 cases, propelled by the omicron variant.



Early research suggests omicron may cause milder illnesses than earlier versions of the coronavirus. But the sheer number of people becoming infected — and therefore having to isolate or quarantine — threatens to crush the ability of hospitals, airlines and other businesses to stay open, experts say.



CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said the country is about to see a lot of omicron cases.



“Not all of those cases are going to be severe. In fact many are going to be asymptomatic,” she told The Associated Press on Monday. “We want to make sure there is a mechanism by which we can safely continue to keep society functioning while following the science.”



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/imf-chief-says-omicron-could-dent-global-economic-growth/">IMF chief says Omicron could dent global economic growth</a></h3>



Last week, the agency loosened rules that previously called on health care workers to stay out of work for 10 days if they test positive. The new recommendations said workers could go back to work after seven days if they test negative and don’t have symptoms. And the agency said isolation time could be cut to five days, or even fewer, if there are severe staffing shortages.



Now, the CDC is changing the isolation and quarantine guidance for the general public to be even less stringent.



The guidance is not a mandate; it’s a recommendation to employers and state and local officials. Last week, New York state said it would expand on the CDC’s guidance for health-care workers to include employees who have other critical jobs that are facing a severe staffing shortage.



It’s possible other states will seek to shorten their isolation and quarantine policies, and CDC is trying to get out ahead of the shift. “It would be helpful to have uniform CDC guidance” that others could draw from, rather than a mishmash of policies, Walensky said.



The CDC’s guidance on isolation and quarantine has seemed confusing to the public, and the new recommendations are “happening at a time when more people are testing positive for the first time and looking for guidance,” said Lindsay Wiley, an American University public health law expert.



Nevertheless, the guidance continues to be complex.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-isolation"><a></a>Isolation</h2>



The isolation rules are for people who are infected. They are the same for people who are unvaccinated, partly vaccinated, fully vaccinated or boosted.



They say:



—The clock starts the day you test positive.



—An infected person should go into isolations for five days, instead of the previously recommended 10.



—At the end of five days, if you have no symptoms, you can return to normal activities but must wear a mask everywhere — even at home around others — for at least five more days.



—If you still have symptoms after isolating for five days, stay home until you feel better and then start your five days of wearing a mask at all times.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-quarantine"><a></a>Quarantine</h2>



The quarantine rules are for people who were in close contact with an infected person but not infected themselves.



For quarantine, the clock starts the day someone is alerted to they may have been exposed to the virus.



Previously, the CDC said people who were not fully vaccinated and who came in close contact with an infected person should stay home for at least 10 days.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/new-covid-19-vaccine-rule-catches-many-kenyans-by-surprise/">New COVID-19 vaccine rule catches many Kenyans by surprise</a></h3>



Now the agency is saying only people who got booster shots can skip quarantine if they wear masks in all settings for at least 10 days.



That’s a change. Previously, people who were fully vaccinated — which the CDC has defined as having two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or one dose of the Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine — could be exempt from quarantine.



Now, people who got their initial shots but not boosters are in the same situation as those who are partly vaccinated or are not vaccinated at all: They can stop quarantine after five days if they wear masks in all settings for five days afterward.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-five-days"><a></a>Five Days</h2>



Suspending both isolation and quarantine after five days is not without risk.



A lot of people get tested when they first feel symptoms, but many Americans get tested for others reasons, like to see if they can visit family or for work. That means a positive test result may not reveal exactly when a person was infected or give a clear picture of when they are most contagious, experts say.



When people get infected, the risk of spread drops substantially after five days, but it does not disappear for everyone, said Dr. Aaron Glatt, a New York physician who is a spokesman for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.



“If you decrease it to five days, you’re still going to small but significant number of people who are contagious,” he said.



That’s why wearing masks is a critical part of the CDC guidance, Walensky said.

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CDC recommends shorter Covid isolation, quarantine for all

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="740" height="416" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/106987053-1639056888438-gettyimages-1236960506-SOUTH_AFRICA_TESTARO.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-414342" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/106987053-1639056888438-gettyimages-1236960506-SOUTH_AFRICA_TESTARO.jpeg 740w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/106987053-1639056888438-gettyimages-1236960506-SOUTH_AFRICA_TESTARO-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/106987053-1639056888438-gettyimages-1236960506-SOUTH_AFRICA_TESTARO-160x90.jpeg 160w" sizes="(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /><figcaption>A health worker packages a coronavirus swab test at a Testaro Covid-19 testing site in the Goodwood district of Cape Town, South Africa, on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images </figcaption></figure>



The omicron Covid variant is less likely to result in hospitalization than earlier strains and appears to be milder in comparison, according to early data released this week.



Data from South Africa, England and Scotland indicate that people infected with omicron are significantly less likely to be admitted to hospital than if they contract other strains, and the latter study further emphasized the importance of getting a booster shot .



On Tuesday, a new study from South Africa showed that people infected with omicron are 80% less likely to be admitted to hospital when compared to other strains. The authors of the study, which has not been peer reviewed, cautioned that this may be in part due to higher immunity among the population, either as a result of previous infection and/or vaccination.



The research, published by the country’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases on Tuesday, suggests a reduced risk of hospitalization and severe disease in omicron sufferers when compared to people who caught the delta variant.



Assessing results from Oct. 1 to Dec. 6, the data shows that individuals with omicron were 70% less likely to experience severe disease than earlier delta infections. However, among those hospitalized, the risk of severe disease didn’t differ from other variants.



The authors of the South Africa paper controlled for factors known to be associated with more severe infections, including age and co-morbidities, and adjusted for factors including vaccination status.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/imf-chief-says-omicron-could-dent-global-economic-growth/">IMF chief says Omicron could dent global economic growth</a></h3>



Elsewhere, studies from Scotland and England appear to back up the South Africa findings.



Early Scottish data, published Wednesday and not peer reviewed, suggests that omicron is two-thirds less likely to result in hospitalization versus delta. The study also suggests a third or booster dose of vaccination offers substantial additional protection against symptomatic Covid for omicron.



“These early national data suggest that Omicron is associated with a two-thirds reduction in the risk of COVID-19 hospitalisation when compared to Delta,” the report authors wrote.



“Whilst offering the greatest protection against Delta, the third/booster dose of vaccination offers substantial additional protection against the risk of symptomatic Covid-19 for Omicron when compared to [greater than or equal to] 25 weeks post second vaccine dose,” they added.



Separate figures from England, also published Wednesday, show that the risk of needing to stay in hospital for patients with the new variant is 40% to 45% lower than in those with delta. The Imperial College London study, which is not peer reviewed, found omicron infection was 15% to 20% less likely to lead to hospitalization compared to delta.



However, the authors stressed that taking vaccination status into account “reveals a more complex overall picture,” given that people in England may have received the Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca shots — or a combination.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-really-good-news"><a></a>‘Really good’ news</h2>



Scientists stress that it is still too early to definitively say whether omicron is milder, and its higher transmissibility means there is still a risk that healthcare systems could become overwhelmed because the high number of infections will likely lead to more people needing hospital care.



However, the new data provides a ray of hope as governments try to asses the severity of the variant.



“For all of us on an individual level, the current studies indicate something really good,” Ralf Reintjes, professor of epidemiology at Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” Thursday.



“At the same time, from an epidemiological view, this variant spreads so much faster than previous ones. So society and our health care system is still running a high risk of being overrun very soon.”



He also stressed that there is already “strong immune response” in many populations, which makes it hard to assess omicron’s severity.



Omicron has rapidly spread around the globe since it was first identified in South Africa in November. It was reported to the World Health Organization on Nov. 24 and the group labelled it a “variant of concern” two days later, noting that it had mutations associated with increased transmissibility.



The U.S. is now reporting nearly 150,000 daily Covid cases, while the U.K. reported over 100,000 daily cases on Wednesday for the first time since the start of the pandemic.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/who-urges-holiday-caution-an-event-canceled-is-better-than-a-life-canceled/">WHO urges holiday caution: ‘An event canceled is better than a life canceled’</a></h3>



Some governments have introduced new restrictions in an attempt to slow the spread of omicron. The Netherlands entered a full lockdown this weekend, leaving only supermarkets and essential shops open.



Fears over the new variant have put a dampener on the winter holidays for many, as people change their plans in an effort to avoid catching Covid, or have to isolate if they do.



In the U.K., the government is shortening the mandatory self-isolation period in England from 10 days to seven for those who get negative lateral flow test results on two consecutive days.



Preliminary studies have shown that the unvaccinated are being hit the hardest by omicron, and even those with two shots are seeing breakthrough infections. However, three doses have been shown to offer protection against the omicron variant, leading authorities in the U.K., U.S. and elsewhere to ramp up their booster shot programs.



Pfizer and BioNTech announced earlier this month that while two doses of their vaccine may still offer protection against severe disease, protection is improved with a third dose, according to an early laboratory study.



However, the World Health Organization on Wednesday warned such booster drives threatened to prolong the pandemic, as unequal access to vaccines could lead to the emergence of more mutations of the virus.



— CNBC’s Holly Ellyatt and Nate Rattner contributed to this report

106987053-1639056888438-gettyimages-1236960506-SOUTH_AFRICA_TESTARO

Three new studies suggest omicron has lower hospitalization risk and is milder than other variants

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="740" height="416" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/106946427-1632411666251-who.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-414312" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/106946427-1632411666251-who.jpg 740w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/106946427-1632411666251-who-300x169.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/106946427-1632411666251-who-160x90.jpg 160w" sizes="(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /><figcaption>World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a news conference organized by Geneva Association of United Nations Correspondents (ACANU) amid the COVID-19 outbreak, caused by the novel coronavirus, at the WHO headquarters in Geneva Switzerland July 3, 2020. Fabrice Coffrini | Pool | Reuters</figcaption></figure>



The World Health Organization has called for some holiday gatherings to be canceled as the omicron Covid-19 variant spreads rapidly around the world.



The highly infections variant has now been detected in at least 89 countries and forced some governments to impose stricter containment measures over the festive period.



The WHO has said cases are doubling every 1.5 to 3 days in areas with community transmission. Omicron is now the dominant variant in the United States, accounting for 73% of all infections.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-who-warns-against-concluding-omicron-is-milder-variant">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/who-warns-against-concluding-omicron-is-milder-variant/">WHO warns against concluding Omicron is milder variant</a></h3>



Speaking at a press conference on Monday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said both policymakers and the public would have to make “difficult decisions” in order to return to normal.



“All of us are sick of this pandemic. All of us want to spend time with friends and family. All of us want to get back to normal. The fastest way to do this is for all of us, leaders and individuals, to make the difficult decisions that must be made to protect ourselves and others,” he said.



“An event canceled is better than a life canceled. It is better to cancel now and celebrate later than to celebrate now and grieve later.”

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WHO urges holiday caution: ‘An event canceled is better than a life canceled’

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="740" height="416" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/106913464-1626783928878-gettyimages-1233680604-AVDjune7.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-410942" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/106913464-1626783928878-gettyimages-1233680604-AVDjune7.jpeg 740w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/106913464-1626783928878-gettyimages-1233680604-AVDjune7-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/106913464-1626783928878-gettyimages-1233680604-AVDjune7-140x80.jpeg 140w" sizes="(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /><figcaption>In this Photo illustration a World Health Organization(WHO) logo seen displayed on an Android phone.
Avishek Das | Getty Images</figcaption></figure>



GENEVA, Dec 20 (Reuters) &#8211; The World Health Organization&#8217;s chief scientist said on Monday it was too early to conclude the Omicron variant was milder than other coronavirus strains, saying it could still make enough people sick to &#8220;overburden&#8221; healthcare systems.



&#8220;&#8230;It is probably unwise to sit back and think this is a mild variant, it&#8217;s not going to cause severe disease, because I think with the numbers going up all health systems are going to be under strain,&#8221; Soumya Swaminathan told Geneva-based journalists.



She added that this perception appeared to be based on initial data out of parts of South Africa which might give a misleading impression due to high levels of existing immunity among the population.



This is a developing story&#8230;



(Reporting by Emma Farge and Stephanie Nebehay Editing by Chris Reese)

WHO warns against concluding Omicron is milder variant

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="740" height="416" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/106990564-1639689436720-gettyimages-1359399089-ay4i2806_30bb4881-efb6-47c6-aaf6-f4a239332ae1.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-414283" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/106990564-1639689436720-gettyimages-1359399089-ay4i2806_30bb4881-efb6-47c6-aaf6-f4a239332ae1.jpeg 740w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/106990564-1639689436720-gettyimages-1359399089-ay4i2806_30bb4881-efb6-47c6-aaf6-f4a239332ae1-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/106990564-1639689436720-gettyimages-1359399089-ay4i2806_30bb4881-efb6-47c6-aaf6-f4a239332ae1-160x90.jpeg 160w" sizes="(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /><figcaption>Alejandro Brown receives a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine from a healthcare worker at a drive-thru site at Tropical Park on December 16, 2021 in Miami, Florida. Joe Raedle | Getty Images</figcaption></figure>



Covid will become an endemic disease as early as 2024, Pfizer executives said Friday, meaning the virus will transition from a global emergency to a constant presence causing regional outbreaks across the world — much like the flu.



“We believe Covid will transition to an&nbsp;endemic&nbsp;state, potentially by 2024,” Nanette Cocero, global president of Pfizer Vaccines, said during an investor call Friday.



Covid-19 would reach the endemic level when populations have enough immunity from vaccines or from prior infections to keep transmissions, hospitalizations and deaths under control even as the virus circulates.



“When and how exactly this happens will depend on the evolution of the disease, how effectively society deploys vaccines and treatments, and equitable distribution to places where vaccination rates are low,” Pfizer chief scientific officer Mikael Dolsten said. “The emergence of new variants could also impact how the pandemic continues to play out.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-africa-needs-to-make-own-vaccines-but-hurdles-are-high-experts-say">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/africa-needs-to-make-own-vaccines-but-hurdles-are-high-experts-say/">Africa needs to make own vaccines but hurdles are high, experts say</a></h3>



The timing of Covid’s transition to an endemic state could vary from place to place, according to Dolsten.



“It seems like over the next year or two, some regions will transition to an&nbsp;endemic&nbsp;model while other regions will continue in pandemic mode,” Dolsten said.



The comments from Pfizer executives come as the U.S. battles a surge of Covid cases led by the delta variant, while the omicron strain quickly spreads. The seven-day average of new hospital admissions for Covid jumped 4% from the prior week, Centers for Disease Control Director Rochelle Walensky said Friday in a White House briefing.



Stockpiling vaccines and Covid treatments such as Pfizer’s oral antiviral pill could become more commonplace as the disease becomes endemic, Angela Hwang, group president of the Pfizer Biopharmaceuticals Group, said.



Pfizer expects countries will prioritize annual revaccination, Cocero said.

106990564-1639689436720-gettyimages-1359399089-ay4i2806_30bb4881-efb6-47c6-aaf6-f4a239332ae1

Pfizer executives say Covid could become endemic by 2024

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="563" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/ADQOYSLRQBLPDMQ2VOQFC6BNRU-820x563.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-411716" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/ADQOYSLRQBLPDMQ2VOQFC6BNRU-820x563.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/ADQOYSLRQBLPDMQ2VOQFC6BNRU-300x206.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/ADQOYSLRQBLPDMQ2VOQFC6BNRU-131x90.jpg 131w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/ADQOYSLRQBLPDMQ2VOQFC6BNRU-768x527.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/ADQOYSLRQBLPDMQ2VOQFC6BNRU-1536x1054.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/ADQOYSLRQBLPDMQ2VOQFC6BNRU-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>FILE PHOTO: A health worker talks to her colleagues as they prepare to receive the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine under the COVAX scheme against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya March 5, 2021. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi</figcaption></figure>



DAKAR, Dec 14 (Reuters) &#8211; Africa is experiencing its fastest surge in COVID-19 cases this year, with the number up 83% in the past week, although deaths remain low, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.



The spike in cases is driven by the Delta and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/how-worried-should-we-be-about-omicron-variant-2021-11-27">Omicron variants</a>, the WHO said in a statement. The number of new COVID-19 cases on the continent is currently doubling every five days, the shortest time frame reported this year.



Africa&#8217;s low inoculation rates have encouraged viral mutations like the new Omicron variant to spread, according to health experts. The continent struggled to <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/pfizer-vaccine-protecting-against-hospitalisation-during-omicron-wave-study/">obtain vaccine doses</a> until recently, and is <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/covid-shots-are-finally-arriving-but-africa-cant-get-them-all-into-arms/">facing challenges to distribute</a> them including lack of funds, staff and equipment.



As of Monday, only 20 African countries had vaccinated at least 10% of their population, according to the WHO. Some countries, like Democratic Republic of Congo and Chad, have vaccinated less than 1%, data collected by Reuters shows.



&#8220;We are cautiously optimistic that deaths and severe illness will remain low in the current wave, but slow vaccine roll-out in Africa means both will be much higher than they should be,&#8221; said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.



Africa recorded more than 196,000 new cases for the week ending on Dec. 12, up from around 107,000 the previous week, the WHO said. Deaths dropped by 19% in the same period, it said, and have averaged about 1,000 per week in the fourth pandemic wave.



At the current pace, it will take until May 2022 before Africa reaches 40% vaccination coverage and August 2024 before it reaches 70%, the WHO said.



(Reporting by Nellie Peyton; Editing by William Maclean)

FILE PHOTO: Kenya to kick off coronavirus vaccination campaign with COVAX shots in Nairobi

Africa sees 83% surge in COVID-19 cases in past week

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="728" height="486" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/ZGQTHP6LK5OBJGQQ3OEWNLNXTY.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-414187" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/ZGQTHP6LK5OBJGQQ3OEWNLNXTY.jpg 728w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/ZGQTHP6LK5OBJGQQ3OEWNLNXTY-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/ZGQTHP6LK5OBJGQQ3OEWNLNXTY-135x90.jpg 135w" sizes="(max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px" /><figcaption>Vials labelled &#8220;VACCINE Coronavirus COVID-19&#8221; and a syringe are seen in front of a displayed Pfizer logo in this illustration taken December 11, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, Dec 14 (Reuters) &#8211; Two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech&#8217;s COVID-19 vaccine appear to have given 70% protection against hospitalisation in South Africa in recent weeks, a major real-world study on the potential impact of Omicron showed on Tuesday, as the country battles a spike in infections linked to the new variant.



The study released by South Africa&#8217;s largest private health insurance administrator, Discovery Health, was based on more than 211,000 positive COVID-19 test results from Nov. 15 to Dec. 7, around 78,000 of which were attributed to Omicron.



The 78,000 results are not confirmed Omicron cases, meaning the study is not able to draw conclusive findings about the variant labelled &#8220;of concern&#8221; by the World Health Organization.



South African scientists have so far confirmed around 550 Omicron sequences, with the variant accounting for 78% of sequences from November, more than the previously dominant Delta variant.



South Africa alerted the world to Omicron late last month, triggering alarm that it could cause another surge in global infections, and leading to the imposition of travel restrictions on southern Africa. South Africa&#8217;s daily infections have since risen to around 20,000 in recent days.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-covid-shots-are-finally-arriving-but-africa-can-t-get-them-all-into-arms">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/covid-shots-are-finally-arriving-but-africa-cant-get-them-all-into-arms/">COVID shots are finally arriving, but Africa can’t get them all into arms</a></h3>



Based on analysis by Discovery&#8217;s clinical research and actuarial teams, and in collaboration with South Africa&#8217;s Medical Research Council (SAMRC), the real-world study calculated that two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech offered 70% protection against hospitalisation during the recent surge in cases and 33% protection against infection.



South Africa is using the Pfizer-BioNTech and Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccines in its COVID-19 immunisation campaign, with more than 20 million Pfizer doses administered so far.



It concluded that there was a higher risk of reinfection during the fourth wave than during previous waves and that the risk of hospitalisation among adults diagnosed with COVID-19 was 29% lower than during the country&#8217;s first wave early last year.



Children appeared to have a 20% higher risk of hospital admission with complications during the fourth wave than during the first, despite a very low absolute incidence, it said.



Discovery cautioned that the study&#8217;s findings should be considered preliminary.



Glenda Gray, SAMRC president, said it was important that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine appeared to be offering good protection against severe disease and hospitalisation.



(Reporting by Alexander Winning and Wendell Roelf; Editing by Giles Elgood)

ZGQTHP6LK5OBJGQQ3OEWNLNXTY

Pfizer vaccine protecting against hospitalisation during Omicron wave – study

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="740" height="416" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/106913464-1626783928878-gettyimages-1233680604-AVDjune7.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-410942" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/106913464-1626783928878-gettyimages-1233680604-AVDjune7.jpeg 740w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/106913464-1626783928878-gettyimages-1233680604-AVDjune7-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/106913464-1626783928878-gettyimages-1233680604-AVDjune7-140x80.jpeg 140w" sizes="(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /><figcaption>In this Photo illustration a World Health Organization(WHO) logo seen displayed on an Android phone.
Avishek Das | Getty Images</figcaption></figure>



GENEVA, Dec 13 (Reuters) &#8211; The Omicron coronavirus variant, reported in more than 60 countries, poses a &#8220;very high&#8221; global risk, with some evidence that it evades vaccine protection but clinical data on its severity remain limited, the World Health Organization says.



Considerable uncertainties surround Omicron, first detected last month in South Africa and Hong Kong, whose mutations may lead to higher transmissibility and more cases of COVID-19 disease, the WHO said in a technical brief issued on Sunday.



&#8220;The overall risk related to the new variant of concern <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/omicron-poses-very-high-global-risk-countries-must-prepare-who-2021-11-29">Omicron remains very high</a> for a number of reasons,&#8221; it said, reiterating its first assessment of Nov. 29.



&#8220;And second, preliminary evidence suggests potential humoral immune escape against infection and high transmission rates, which could lead to further surges with severe consequences,&#8221; the WHO said, referring to the virus&#8217; potential ability to evade immunity provided by antibodies.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-imf-chief-says-omicron-could-dent-global-economic-growth">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/imf-chief-says-omicron-could-dent-global-economic-growth/">IMF chief says Omicron could dent global economic growth</a></h3>



The WHO cited some preliminary evidence that the number of people getting reinfected with the virus has increased in South Africa.



While preliminary findings from South Africa suggest that Omicron may be less severe than the Delta variant &#8211; currently dominant worldwide &#8211; and all cases reported in the Europe region have been mild or asymptomatic, it remains unclear to what extent Omicron may be inherently less virulent, it said.



&#8220;More data are needed to understand the severity profile,&#8221; it said. &#8220;Even if the severity is potentially lower than for the Delta variant, it is expected that hospitalisations will increase as a result of increasing transmission. More hospitalizations can put a burden on health systems and lead to more deaths.&#8221;



Further information was expected in coming weeks, it added, noting the time lag between infections and outcomes.



(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay, Editing by William Maclean)

Omicron poses “very high” global risk but data on severity limited – WHO

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/6BVOZWSNURNNLFN7XWB75LZTDA-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-414088" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/6BVOZWSNURNNLFN7XWB75LZTDA-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/6BVOZWSNURNNLFN7XWB75LZTDA-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/6BVOZWSNURNNLFN7XWB75LZTDA-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/6BVOZWSNURNNLFN7XWB75LZTDA-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/6BVOZWSNURNNLFN7XWB75LZTDA.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>A healthcare worker administers the Pfizer coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine to a man, amidst the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 variant Omicron, in Johannesburg, South Africa, December 9, 2021. REUTERS/Sumaya Hisham</figcaption></figure>



GENEVA, Dec 9 (Reuters) &#8211; The World Health Organization warned wealthy countries on Thursday against hoarding COVID-19 vaccines for booster shots as they try to fight off the new Omicron variant, threatening supplies to poorer countries where inoculation rates are low.



Many Western nations have been rolling out boosters, targeting the elderly and people with underlying health issues, but worries about the fast-spreading Omicron have prompted some to expand their programmes.



The <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/whos-advisory-panel-outlines-recommendations-boosters-2021-12-09">WHO recommended boosters</a> instead for those with health issues, or those who have received an inactivated shot.



The jury is still out on how effective current vaccines are against Omicron. They have so far proved hugely successful in slowing the spread of the coronavirus and the severity of illness, but low rates of inoculation pose the risk of more dangerous and more vaccine-resistant variants emerging.



&#8220;As we head into whatever the Omicron situation is going to be, there is risk that the global supply is again going to revert to high-income <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/who-wealthy-countries-may-hoard-covid-19-shots-again-fight-new-variant-2021-12-09">countries hoarding vaccine</a>,&#8221; the WHO&#8217;s vaccine director, Kate O&#8217;Brien, told a briefing.



Mike Ryan, WHO emergencies director, said Omicron appeared to be &#8220;fitter and faster&#8221; but it was not invincible.



&#8220;We don&#8217;t fully understand the implications clinically or the implications for our vaccines. &#8230; What we do in the coming days and weeks, both in terms of virus suppression, vaccination and equity will make a huge difference to the evolution of this pandemic in 2022,&#8221; he said.



Omicron was first detected in southern Africa and Hong Kong and Africa accounts for 46% of reported cases globally, Richard Mihigo, coordinator of the WHO&#8217;s Immunisation and Vaccine Development Programme for Africa, told an online briefing.



Just 7.5% of more than one billion people in Africa have had primary vaccine shots.



O&#8217;Brien&#8217;s warning came as supplies to the global COVAX vaccine-sharing programme run by the WHO and charity GAVI have increased in the past few months due to donations from wealthy countries and after India eased limits on exports of vaccines.



She said a major problem for COVAX had been wealthy countries donating vaccines with a relatively short shelf life.



The WHO has said in recent months that administering primary doses should be a priority and its vaccine advisory panel recommended on Thursday that people who are immunocompromised or received an inactivated vaccine should receive a booster.



Coronavirus infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in central China two years ago.



More than 267.28 million people have been infected and nearly 5.6 million have died, according to a Reuters tally.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lockdown-parties">LOCKDOWN PARTIES</h2>



WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the world was not on track to meet vaccination targets and that Omicron illustrated the &#8220;perilous situation&#8221; the world was in.



Britain was struggling to enforce tougher restrictions to slow the spread of Omicron after revelations about alleged lockdown parties at Prime Minister Boris Johnson&#8217;s residence provoked an outcry over hypocrisy.



Johnson apologised in parliament for a video showing staff laughing about a party in Downing Street during a 2020 Christmas COVID lockdown when such festivities were banned for the population.



World stock markets stalled at two-week highs on Thursday as increased restrictions in parts of the world to contain the spread of Omicron tempered optimism on the vaccine front.



John Nkengasong, the head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control, said on Thursday the Serum Institute of India (SII), the world&#8217;s biggest vaccine maker, had let Africa down by pulling out of talks to supply vaccines.



He denounced recent comments from the SII that uptake of its COVID-19 shots had slowed because of low demand from Africa and vaccine hesitancy, saying the real problem lay with the institute.



Serum did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.



Nkengasong said SII had engaged in discussions last year with the Africa Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT), and that at one point he had believed a deal was very close, but then SII abruptly ended the talks.



&#8220;Serum just decided to act in a very unprofessional manner and stop communicating with AVATT team, so that created a situation where we found ourselves extremely unhappy &#8230; and then engaged with Johnson &amp; Johnson,&#8221; he said.



African countries had agreed to buy 400 million doses of COVID vaccines from J&amp;J, abandoning efforts with SII, he said.



Interactive graphic tracking global spread of coronavirus: open <a href="https://tmsnrt.rs/2FThSv7">https://tmsnrt.rs/2FThSv7</a> in an external browser. 



Eikon users can click <a href="https://apac1.apps.cp.thomsonreuters.com/cms/?navid=1063154666">https://apac1.apps.cp.thomsonreuters.com/cms/?navid=1063154666</a> for a case tracker.



(Additional reporting by Alexander Winning and Wendell Roelf in Johannesburg and Alistair Smout and Guy Faulconbridge in London; Writing by Nick Macfie; Editing by Susan Fenton)

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