Omicron variant
As more and more countries register record numbers of infections the World Health Organisation, WHO, warns that both Omicron and Delta variants are "twin threats".
The warning takes place as much of Europe, the US, Australia and many other countries grapple with increasing caseloads of Covid-19 cases.
"Right now, Delta and Omicron are twin threats that are driving up cases to record numbers which again, is leading to spikes in hospitalisations and deaths. While there were 1.8 million recorded deaths in 2020, there were 3.5 million in 2021 and we know the actual number is much higher", said Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization.
In Europe, France has the highest new infection rate, with 208,000 new cases reported on Wednesday.
The WHO has warned that the Omicron variant still posed a "very high" risk.
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