[이데일리 신채연 인턴기자] The World Health Organization’s (WHO) European office has predicted that the omicron mutation might be a turning point in Europe’s path towards an endemic (periodically endemic disease) of COVID-19.
Hans Kluj, head of the WHO European office, said, “By March, 60% of Europeans might be infected with omicron. This means that Europe is heading towards the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.” It was announced on Sunday (local time) to AFP.
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“Once the surge in omicron, which is currently sweeping Europe, subsides, many Europeans will become immune to vaccination or infection,” Kluj said.
“Even if the COVID-19 virus reappears at the end of the year, it may not be a pandemic,” he added.
The European Health Organization (ECDC) said last week that Omicron has become the dominant species in the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA).
Meanwhile, optimism regarding Omicron is also emerging in the US. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in the United States, said in an interview with ABC broadcast on the same day that “the spread of Omicron has reached its peak in the United States.” Fauci was optimistic regarding the current situation, saying “the spread of the virus will slow down.”
