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Rabat – Azeddine Ibrahimi, a member of the National Scientific and Technical Committee has called for the strengthening of preventive measures following the outbreak of Omicron in Morocco.
Morocco confirmed the first Omicron case earlier this week. The patient is a 30-year old woman. Health officials said the case is local and was not imported from abroad.
Ibrahimi, who is also the director of the Biotechnology Laboratory of the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, emphasized that the appearance of the Omicron variant in Morocco is completely normal after its spread in more than 77 countries. He warned, however, against its propagation.
While Ibrahimi acknowledged that Omicron is “less lethal” than the other variants of COVID-19, Its danger lies in its contagious nature and its high speed of spreading. It is possible to see the number of cases of infection double in only two or three days, he explained.
“The spread of this variant, especially among the most vulnerable and unvaccinated groups is a concern of WHO,” Ibrahimi said. The professor cited the UK as an example, emphasizing that it recorded over 70,000 cases of infection on Wednesday alone.
There is a possibility that the toll could increase in the UK to 200,000 cases per day, according to forecasts, he said.
“No health system is able to handle this situation,” he warned.
Ibrahimi emphasized the need to respect all preventive measures in force, including physical distancing and the wearing of masks. He also stressed the importance of COVID vaccines, including receiving the booster.
Several health professionals echoed similar statements, including Morocco’s Minister of Health Khalid Ait Taleb. Earlier this week, the minister reassured citizens that “boosting immunity greatly prevents the risk of infection.” Ait Taleb assures the epidemiological situation is under control but warns that an upsurge of the pandemic is “possible at any time.”
