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WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus. Photo: World Economic Forum Dr Berlin Kafoa, Director of the Pacific Community’s (SPC) Public Health Division

WHO WATCHES OUT FOR

NEW COVID VARIANTS

By Kite Pareti On what has caused these new variants, Dr Mahmoud said:
“All viruses, including the virus that causes COVID-19, change
Three years since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and evolve as they spread between people over time. Most
there have been more than 774 million confirmed cases and of the time, this doesn’t change much about the disease or
more than seven million reported deaths globally, according how it spreads. However, some changes may affect how easily
to recent statistics by the World Health Organization (WHO). the virus spreads, the severity of the disease it causes, or
Now, countries around the globe, including the Pacific, are on the performance of vaccines, medicines, lab tests, or other
alert as new variants emerge. response measures.”
In its latest epidemiological update on COVID-19, the WHO Dr Berlin Kafoa, Director of the Pacific Community’s (SPC)
says JN.1 is currently the most widely circulating variant and Public Health Division, reiterated: “There will continue to be
is now reported in 71 countries. variants of COVID. It’s just like the flu virus. There’s influenza
“There are still just five variants of concern that everyone A and influenza B. So, COVID will follow the same.”
has heard about for some time: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta Dr Kafoa says the level of immunity in Pacific Island
and Omicron. However, there are other newer variants such countries is “much better than when we were first exposed to
as BA.2.86, JN.1 and EG.5 that WHO is watching closely,” Dr COVID.
Nuha Mahmoud, Officer in Charge at the WHO Western Pacific “People have been vaccinated. And they’ve been exposed
Regional Office, clarified. to COVID over the last few years. So, the immunity of the
“These [newer variants] aren’t classified yet as variants of populations is better,” he told Islands Business.
concern as, so far, they haven’t been shown to cause more He says Pacific Island countries should continue to
severe illness,” she told Islands Business. implement precautionary measures against COVID. “That is,
Dr Mahmoud says the WHO has seen these variants encouraging people to get vaccinated, isolation after they
spreading in the Pacific and in countries with strong take their rapid tests, and use masks when appropriate.
connections with the Pacific. “We should continue to encourage people who are at
“As of 27 November 2023, we have seen cases of the JN.1 risk, like people with diabetes or heart disease, those with
variant of interest detected in French Polynesia, and there comorbidities, or if you’re a frequent traveller, to get
have been cases of the EG.5 variant of interest reported in vaccinated.”
Australia, France, New Zealand, and the United States of Asked about the current level of COVID vaccination in
America in recent months,” she said. the Pacific, Dr Kafoa said: “It’s difficult for us to tell at
New cases (more than 1.1 million) have increased 4% this moment because countries stopped the compulsory
globally. vaccination. People have gained that immunity from being

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