Geneva : The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that it expects an increase in the number of hospitalisations and fatalities related to the new Omicron coronavirus strain, according to a report of the news agency Sputnik. The UN health agency also said that more information is needed to fully understand the clinical picture of those infected with the new variant.

WHO had suggested that a new variant could have a major impact on the course of the pandemic, but it's still too early to say for sure. The health agency encourages countries to contribute to the collection and sharing of hospitalized patient data through the WHO COVID-19 Clinical Data Platform.

WHO last week had shed light on features of the new COVID-19 variant Omicron, including the extent to which it will spread, and the number of mutations in the newfound strain. Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, last week also highlighted "a consistent picture of the rapid increase in transmission". He added that the exact rate of increase relative to other variants remains difficult to quantify.