Omicron is very dangerous – Deputy Director, UCC Health Service

The Deputy Director for the University of Cape Coast Health Service, Dr. James Prah has emphasized that the Omicron virus is extremely risky and thus the needed precautions must be taken to prevent the spread of the virus in the country.

He notes that Omicron is another modified form of the Covid-19 Virus and thus has its special characteristics as well as the traits of the other variants of the Covid- 19 virus.

“It is not surprising that this OMICRON is said to be more transmittable than the already known ones. Until now the Delta Variant was the one that was more easily transferable as compared to the ALPHA and the BETA. As new ones come, they take some of the properties of the proceeding ones, change a little and become more dangerous.”

First identified in Botswana and South Africa, this new duplication of the coronavirus has prompted concern among scientists and public health officials due to an unusually high number of mutations that have the potential to make the virus more transmissible and less susceptible to existing vaccines.

The World Health Organization has called the Omicron a variant of concern and has warned that the global risks posed by it were very high, despite what officials describe as a multitude of uncertainties.

Cases have been identified in dozens of countries on every continent except Antarctica.

In an exclusive interview on the ATLANTIC WAVE, Dr. Prah indicated that since the Omicron virus can spread easily from one person to another more people are viable to contract the virus.

“Our immune system does not know this virus very well, it is so new to us so when it gets to people, it is able to cause infections easier than those that we already know in terms of we having immunity against them.” He said

He, therefore, encouraged Ghanaians to change their attitudes and follow the laid down safety protocols adding that there are more vaccines available thus everyone should take advantage and get vaccinated.