Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, offered a stark warning to the world on Monday: Forego holiday celebrations for the time being, or risk death from COVID-19. 

What You Need To Know

  • Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, is urging the world to forego holiday celebrations as the omicron variant of COVID-19 spreads

  • “An event canceled is better than a life canceled,” he said during a televised meeting, adding: “It's better to cancel now and celebrate later, than to celebrate now and grieve later"

  • Experts in the U.S. say the omicron caseload is “increasing rapidly,” and that they “expect it to become the dominant strain in the United States [...] in the coming weeks"

  • U.S. officials have also not expressly advised Americans against gathering for the holidays, instead recommending individuals use mitigation strategies like vaccination

 

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cited the rapidly-spreading omicron variant of COVID-19 as reason for his advice, saying there is a plethora of evidence to show that while omicron may not cause more severe illness than past variants of the coronavirus, it is much more transmissible. 

“An event canceled is better than a life canceled,” he said during a televised meeting. “It's better to cancel now and celebrate later, than to celebrate now and grieve later. None of us want to be here again in 12 months time.” 

Scientists around the world are still racing to study the newest COVID variant of concern. Experts in the U.S. say the omicron caseload is “increasing rapidly,” and that they “expect it to become the dominant strain in the United States, as it has in other countries, in the coming weeks.”

Top health officials have also said that early studies underscore the importance of getting a third COVID booster shot to protect against the viral strain. 

A number of early studies have shown that a booster, or third dose, of both mRNA vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech offer increased protection against the omicron variant compared to individuals who only received a two-dose regimen of either shot. 

Last week, Pfizer-BioNTech released preliminary results from a laboratory study that showed a three-dose regimen of their COVID-19 vaccine effectively “neutralized” the omicron variant, and increased antibody protections for individuals by 25-fold. 

And on Monday, Moderna said lab tests showed the half-dose booster shot increased by 37 times the level of so-called neutralizing antibodies able to fight omicron.

A full-dose booster was even stronger, triggering an 83-fold jump in antibody levels, although with an increase in the usual side effects, the company said. While half-dose shots are being used for most Moderna boosters, a full-dose third shot has been recommended for people with weakened immune systems.

Despite the WHO warning, the United States does not have plans to re-issue lockdown orders, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday. 

President Joe Biden is set to address the nation on Tuesday to discuss his winter plan to fight COVID, where he will likely deliver a “stark warning of what the winter will look like for Americans who choose to remain unvaccinated,” according to the White House. 

U.S. officials have also not expressly advised Americans against gathering for the holidays, instead recommending individuals use mitigation strategies like vaccination, social distancing, mask-wearing and hosting outdoor events. 

Last Friday, CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky advised Americans to “use the next week to make sure you’re practicing those safe prevention/mitigation strategies so that when you come together for the holidays that people have not been exposed to the virus because, in fact, they’ve been vaccinated, boosted, and masked.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.