WHO says no Omicron deaths yet, as variant spreads worldwide

GENEVA, Dec 4 (AFP): The Omicron variant has been detected in 38 countries but no deaths have yet been reported, the WHO said on Friday (Dec 4), as authorities worldwide rushed to stem the heavily mutated Covid-19 strain's spread amid warnings that it could damage the global economic recovery.

The United States and Australia became the latest countries to confirm locally transmitted cases of the variant, as Omicron infections pushed South Africa's total cases past three million.