MOSCOW, February 1. /TASS/. It is "far too early" to talk about the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge told TASS on Tuesday.
"Definitely, we cannot say that this is the end of the pandemic. This is far too early. This virus has surprised us greatly more than once - for example, the Delta virus. But yes, this is a cause for optimism. <…> But, we should not relax," Kluge said.
According to the WHO regional director, although those infected with the Omicron variant have a milder form of the disease, it still causes post-COVID syndrome like any other strain. "We definitely shouldn’t say - let the Omicron [variant] affect us, we do not need vaccination, it is milder. No, because there is also a syndrome which is called long-COVID. Up to 30% of people with COVID-19 will suffer for months and months. We should not play with modern nature," Kluge emphasized.
The WHO regional director also called for revaccination against COVID-19. "I encourage all people to get vaccinated, get boosted. Vaccines have already allowed us to avoid 500,000 deaths in our region. We have published this with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. So, please, get vaccinated, but there is hope for optimism that we will get out of the acute phase of the pandemic," he noted.