Cases of infection with the new omicron coronavirus strain have been reported in 89 countries, and the number doubles every one and a half to three days, the World Health Organization said..

Omicron is spreading rapidly in countries with high immunization rates, but it is unclear whether this is due to its ability to bypass immunity or its increased infectiousness, or a combination of both, the WHO said..

On November 26, the organization declared omicron a strain of “concern” shortly after it was first discovered..

“However, there is still only limited data on the clinical severity of omicron,” the report said.. - More data is needed to understand the severity of the disease and how it is affected by vaccination or previously acquired natural immunity. To date, there is still no verified data on the effectiveness of vaccines against "

WHO also warns that rapidly rising cases may cause hospitals to become overcrowded again in some regions of the world..

“The number of hospitalizations in the UK and South Africa continues to grow, and it is possible that the health care system will be overwhelmed,” added the WHO.