The more infectious Omicron variant of COVID-19 appears to produce less severe disease than the globally dominant Delta strain, but should not be categorized as "mild," World Health Organization (WHO) officials said on Thursday.
Janet Diaz, WHO lead on clinical management, said early studies showed there was a reduced risk of hospitalization from the variant first identified in southern Africa and Hong Kong in November compared with Delta.
There appears also to be a reduced risk of severity in both younger and older people, she told a media briefing from WHO headquarters in Geneva.
The remarks on the reduced risks of severe disease chime with other data, including studies from South Africa and England, although she did not give further details about the studies or ages of the cases analyzed.
The impact on the elderly is one of the big unanswered questions about the new variant as most of the cases studied so far have been in younger people.
"While Omicron does appear to be less severe compared to Delta, especially in those vaccinated, it does not mean it should be categorized as mild," director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at the same briefing in Geneva.
"Just like previous variants, Omicron is hospitalizing people and it is killing people."
He warned of a "tsunami" of cases as global infections soar to records fueled by both Omicron and Delta, healthcare systems are overwhelmed, and governments struggle to tame the virus, which has killed more than 5.8 million people.
Tedros repeated his call for greater equity globally in the distribution of and access to vaccines.
Based on the current rate of vaccine rollout, 109 countries will miss the WHO's target for 70% of the world's population to be fully vaccinated by July, Tedros added. That aim is seen as helping end the acute phase of the pandemic.
"Booster after booster in a small number of countries will not end a pandemic while billions remain completely unprotected," he said.
WHO adviser Bruce Aylward said 36 nations had not even reached 10 percent vaccination cover. Among severe patients worldwide, 80% were unvaccinated, he added.
In its weekly epidemiological report on Thursday, the WHO said cases increased by 71%, or 9.5 million, in the week to Jan. 2 from a week earlier, while deaths fell by 10%, or 41,000.
Another variant B.1.640 - first documented in multiple countries in September 2021 - is among those being monitored by the WHO but is not circulating widely, said the WHO's technical lead on COVID-19, Maria van Kerkhove.
There are two other categories of greater significance the WHO uses to track variants: "variant of concern," which includes Delta and Omicron, and "variant of interest."
An 81-year-old Quebec man has been sentenced to prison after admitting to killing his wife with Alzheimer's disease.
Pat King, one of the most prominent figures of the 2022 'Freedom Convoy' in Ottawa, has been found guilty on five counts including mischief and disobeying a court order.
The Canadian government has unveiled its plans for a sweeping GST/HST pause on select items during the holiday period. The day after the announcement, questions remain on how the whole thing will work.
The Canadian government is warning travellers following the deaths of at least six people in the mass poisoning of foreign tourists in Laos after drinking tainted alcohol.
The Canada Revenue Agency has released updated federal income tax brackets for 2025, reflecting adjustments for inflation. Here’s the breakdown.
Thirty new measles cases were reported this week in Canada, bringing the total number in Canada to 130 in 2024.
An assertive group of cross-country travellers pinned and duct-taped an unruly passenger mid-flight, after he allegedly tried to open a plane door at 30,000 feet.
Former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who withdrew from consideration as U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general on Thursday, said Friday he will not be returning to U.S. Congress next year.
A young man has been arrested after multiple women reported receiving “disturbing” sexual notes – or in some cases underwear – in the same Burnaby, B.C., neighbourhood over recent months, the RCMP announced Thursday.
Pat King, one of the most prominent figures of the 2022 'Freedom Convoy' in Ottawa, has been found guilty on five counts including mischief and disobeying a court order.
A Saskatchewan principal sentenced to six months behind bars for sexual assault has another chance to prove he’s the victim of a middle-school prank that escalated out of control.
An 81-year-old Quebec man has been sentenced to prison after admitting to killing his wife with Alzheimer's disease.
The Canada Revenue Agency has released updated federal income tax brackets for 2025, reflecting adjustments for inflation. Here’s the breakdown.
A bail hearing has heard that a woman accused in the drowning death of a five-year-old girl in an Alberta lake didn't know the child and was supposed to be under house arrest.
Jurors began deliberations Friday in the trial of two men accused of human smuggling across the Canada-U.S. border between Manitoba and Minnesota.
A New York judge on Friday granted Donald Trump permission to seek dismissal of his hush money criminal case, in which he was found guilty earlier this year, in light of his victory in the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election.
Queen Camilla will miss her third public engagement in two weeks as she recovers from a chest infection, Buckingham Palace said Friday.
A second Australian teenager who fell critically ill after drinking tainted alcohol in Laos has died in a hospital in Bangkok, her family said Friday, bringing the death toll in the mass poisoning of foreign tourists to six.
More aid workers, health care staffers, delivery personnel and other humanitarians have been killed in 2024 than in any other single year, the United Nations reported Friday.
Former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who withdrew from consideration as U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general on Thursday, said Friday he will not be returning to U.S. Congress next year.
The Canadian government is warning travellers following the deaths of at least six people in the mass poisoning of foreign tourists in Laos after drinking tainted alcohol.
A senior official says the Canadian government is not aware of any evidence linking Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to alleged criminal activity perpetrated by Indian agents on Canadian soil.
The Halifax International Security Forum started Friday with Canada's defence minister defending Canada's military spending as Donald Trump's election in the United States increases pressure on NATO members to do more.
Canada's consul general in New York doubled-down Thursday on his past claim that he exerted no influence on the decision of Global Affairs Canada to buy a $9 million condo in Manhattan.
As the country heads into the worst time of year for respiratory infections, the Canadian respiratory virus surveillance report tracks how prevalent certain viruses are each week and how the trends are changing week to week.
Drinking just 25 to 90 ml (0.7 to 3.0 ounces) of methanol can be fatal without proper medical treatment, but can be successfully treated if caught early.
A popular series of Murphy beds that had been sold online is under a recall in Canada and the U.S. after several reported instances of the furniture detaching from walls.
The promise of starting life anew on Mars may appear alluring as the climate crisis intensifies and space and rocket technology advances. But the reality would be dreadful, according to experts.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says oyster samples from New Brunswick's east coast have tested positive for two diseases, one of which has been found for the first time in Canada.
A group of high school students from Alliston, Ont., have garnered international attention after being invited to showcase their work on a global stage.
CTV film critic Richard Crouse says 'Wicked' is a bold, brassy re-imagination of the beloved hit musical that brews up its own cinematic vibe.
Kendrick Lamar gave music listeners an early holiday present Friday with the surprise drop of a new album.
The Italian Renaissance diplomat Niccolò Machiavelli has become synonymous with subtle scheming. And now, an extremely rare first edition of his most famous work, the political manual 'The Prince,' is going up for auction, with an expected sale price of up to £300,000 (US$375,000).
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. has launched a defamation lawsuit against Canada Bread Co. Ltd. and its parent company Grupo Bimbo.
The federal government's 'meaty' move to pause federal sales tax on a long list of items and send cheques to millions of Canadians this spring could factor into an improving outlook for growth in 2025, economists say.
Canada Post says it lost $315 million before tax in the third quarter compared with a loss before tax of $290 million a year earlier.
Peter Frank has paddled from Michigan's Upper Peninsula in June to the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland this month in his 1982 Sawyer Loon decked canoe, but he’s still got a long way to go.
The world's tallest woman and the world’s shortest woman have met for afternoon tea in London to celebrate Guinness World Records Day.
A coffee shop in Middleborough, Massachusetts, went viral overnight for offering free coffee to customers who entered the shop while dancing.
A civil jury in Ireland on Friday found that mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor sexually assaulted a woman in a hotel penthouse after a night of heavy partying.
Whoopi Goldberg's latest venture, the All Women’s Sports Network (AWSN), has been a long time in the making.
Alex Ovechkin has a broken left fibula and is expected to be out four to six weeks, an injury that pauses the Washington Capitals superstar captain’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record.
Northvolt AB has filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States, but said the move will not jeopardize the manufacturer's planned electric vehicle battery plant in Quebec — though hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars invested in the parent company could be lost.
Canadian drivers are regularly in a hurry to get to their destination and a majority are willing to take unnecessary risks on the road, according to the results of a new survey.
A man from B.C.’s Lower Mainland who was scammed while selling his Porsche Cayenne online is sharing his cautionary tale – while calling for increased protections from the government.
Humans weren’t the only ones who struggled through the bomb cyclone that formed off the B.C. coast this week, bringing intense winds and choppy seas.
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Toronto radio and podcast host Jax Irwin has recently gone viral for videos of her cute -- and at times confusing -- phone conversations.
Two young women from New Brunswick have won one of the most prestigious and sought-after academic honours in the world.
Stretching 3,000 kilometres from the tip of New Zealand to its southernmost point, with just a bicycle for transport and a tent to call home, bikepacking event Tour Aotearoa is not for the faint of heart.
When he first moved to his urban neighbourhood, Barry Devonald was surprised to be welcomed by a whole flock of new neighbours.
When George Arcioni began renovating his kitchen last summer, he didn’t expect to find a stack of letters hidden in the wall behind his oven.
A Nova Scotia couple fulfilled their wildest dreams Thursday night when they got engaged at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Toronto.
Some Calgary residents caught what appeared to be a meteor streaking across the sky early on Wednesday morning.
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Mounties in Burnaby say the occupants of a Tesla that drove past the scene of an arson earlier this week may have crucial information, and are urging them to come forward.
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An additional 160,000 students in Ontario will get access to free meals, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced at a Brampton, Ont. school Friday.
Pat King, one of the most prominent figures of the 2022 'Freedom Convoy' in Ottawa, has been found guilty on five counts including mischief and disobeying a court order.
The 120th Santa Claus Parade is back in Toronto on Sunday and will bring along some road closures.
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Calgary police are investigating after a body was found in the southwest community of Pine Creek.
Premier Danielle Smith and her minister of transportation spoke at a passenger rail forum in Calgary on Friday, adding more speculation about what could be in store for travel options for Albertans in the years ahead.
Pat King, one of the most prominent figures of the 2022 'Freedom Convoy' in Ottawa, has been found guilty on five counts including mischief and disobeying a court order.
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The Ottawa Food Bank is calling the record-breaking visits to its food programs "a declaration of emergency," with children and youth and newcomers accounting for more than a quarter of visits last year.
Quebec provincial police are searching for a third suspect in connection with Kevin Mirshahi, the cryptocurrency influencer who was kidnapped and killed last summer.
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A teen who pleaded guilty in the death of another teen on Prince Edward Island last year will be sentenced Friday.
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A vulnerable man who was missing in Cape Breton has been found safe.
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Jurors began deliberations Friday in the trial of two men accused of human smuggling across the Canada-U.S. border between Manitoba and Minnesota.
Sio Silica is planning to try again with a controversial mining project in the same spot using the same method that the province rejected less than a year ago, but this time with more community engagement.
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A Regina chiropractor accused of sexually assaulting seven different women took the stand Thursday as arguments began in his defense.
Evraz North America says an investigation is underway after a contractor was fatally injured while on the job in Regina on Nov. 19.
Charges were laid after a crash between an LRT train and a Dodge vehicle shut down a busy Kitchener street for more than eight hours on Thursday.
FunGuyz, which calls itself the biggest magic mushroom dispensary in Canada, says it's shutting down all 30 of its Ontario locations.
Waterloo Regional Police have released a video as they try to identify a suspect in a Cambridge robbery.
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A Saskatoon man is concerned about an Alberta non-profit coming into the city to open a new shelter and run the Lighthouse.
After being sworn in Wednesday night alongside a mix of new and returning city councillors, Cynthia Block becomes the first female mayor of Saskatoon.
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A 30-year-old woman is in hospital in Sudbury after she was stabbed multiple times early Friday morning in Chelmsford.
After years of delays, the province has pulled the plug on an addiction treatment centre in North Bay. A news release from Canadore College on Thursday confirmed the centre won’t be moving forward.
London fire crews and police are on scene of a house fire in east London. Crews were called to the 1800 block of Culver Drive, east of Third Street and south of Oxford Street, around 11:30 a.m.
Crews were called to the school around 10 a.m. to reports of smoke. According to the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) the fire has been put out.
Significant delays are being reported in the area and tow trucks are on scene to help. No injuries have been reported.
Emergency crews were called to Highway 400 in Georgian Bay Township Friday morning after a fatal tanker truck rollover.
Crews installed fencing along a busy stretch of road in the south end of Barrie to protect wildlife in preparation of a major construction project on the way.
Provincial police are hoping to identify two suspects accused of breaking into and stealing from a local legion.
Projects by four manufacturing companies are expected to create 29 new jobs in the Windsor area.
Windsor residents and visitors can get into the holiday spirit at Willistead Manor.
An Ontario law firm is seeking information about the movements and activities of a Catholic priest who was convicted of sexually abusing a 12-year-old boy before he died.
The power has been restored and single-lane traffic reopened on Saanich’s Quadra Street by the wreckage from a massive fire on a condo construction site.
Another windstorm is headed to B.C.’s South Coast Friday, though Environment Canada says it will be weaker than the bomb cyclone event earlier this week.
Vancouver Island’s major crime unit is investigating the case of a Victoria teenager whose death was initially ruled an accidental overdose, but has since been reclassified by coroners as a homicide.
Police are appealing for information on a targeted shooting that resulted in the hospitalization of a man in Kamloops.
British Columbia's independent police watchdog has cleared officers of wrongdoing in a crash where three people were killed south of Kamloops in July of last year.
A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.
The Hurricanes launched a three-game road trip south of the border Wednesday dropping a 4-0 game to the league-best Everett Silvertips.
A new citywide campaign is hoping to encourage residents to shop, eat and explore local this holiday season.
Agriculture is an industry mainly dominated by men, but around 80 middle school and high school students – all of whom are female – are hoping to change that.
Sault-based charity Save Our Young Adults, or SOYA, will soon move to a new home -- for good reason.
The City of Elliot Lake said Thursday it has received a $3-million donation from Edward and Suzanne Rogers for the Centennial Arena restoration.
Students in Sault College’s business accounting program have a new learning pathway that will ultimately give them a head start to a career.
A Newfoundland energy company's embrace of data centres is raising doubts about eastern Canadian hopes of harnessing the region's howling winds to supply Germany with power from green hydrogen.
An international group led by a Canadian is in Rome this week to push the Catholic Church to adopt a zero-tolerance policy on abuse by clergy.
A company hoping to build a multi-billion-dollar wind-to-hydrogen project in western Newfoundland is eyeing other options as Canada's plans to supply Europe with green energy have not yet materialized.
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