European countries can take the spread of coronavirus under control, said Hans Kluge, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Europe. His statement is published on the website of the organization.

European countries can achieve this, he said, with high vaccination rates, "a favorable seasonal pause as we emerge from winter," and the less dangerous nature of the "omicron" strain of coronavirus.

Kluge expressed confidence that thanks to this, Europeans will be better protected from new outbreaks of COVID-19, even if a more dangerous strain appears.

"This period of heightened protection should be seen as a 'ceasefire' that can bring us lasting peace," he said.

This can be achieved under a number of conditions, continued the head of the WHO European Bureau. To do this, first of all, it is necessary to continue vaccination and revaccination against coronavirus. It is also necessary to focus on protecting the most vulnerable segments of the population and increase epidemiological control to identify new strains of coronavirus infection.

Earlier, Nixie Gumede-Moeletsi, senior virologist at the WHO African office, said that a variant of the “omicron” strain, which is very difficult to detect using the available tests, was found in several countries in Africa.

bbabo.Net