A COVID-19 patient in California, the US, receives treatment. (Photo: AFP/VNA)

WHO Incident Manager Abdi Mahamud told reporters on Tuesday that more evidence is emerging that the Omicron variant is causing milder symptoms than previous variants. That’s good news, he said, but he warned that Omicron's high transmissibility means it will become dominant within weeks in many places and pose a threat where a high proportion of the population remains unvaccinated.

To fight off the Omicron variant, Israel will start offering a fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine to people over 60, becoming the first country in the world to widely administer a fourth jab. According to preliminary results of a study reported by the Israeli government Tuesday, a fourth shot of the coronavirus vaccine generates a fivefold boost in antibodies a week after the jab.