Too soon to decide if Omicron more severe than Delta, WHO says

The World Health Organization does not yet have enough data on the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus to say if it is more severe than the Delta variant.

"We do have some data suggesting that rates of hospitalization are lower," WHO's technical lead on COVID-19, Maria van Kerkhove, said in a briefing with media.

But she cautioned against drawing conclusions from the early data because "we have not seen this variant circulate long enough in populations around the world, certainly in vulnerable populations."

She said the data on the new variant, first identified in southern Africa and Hong Kong in November, was still "messy" as countries reported its arrival and spread.

"We have been asking people to be cautious, we have been asking countries to be cautious, and to really think, especially as these holidays are coming up."