Mask Campaign: Mask Distribution Amid Concern Over ‘Omicron’

Public health awareness campaigns kicked off amid the news about the spread of new COVID variant ‘Omicron’ in countries around the world.

In Yangon, the Yangon Region Public Transport Supervising Committee conducted a Mask Campaign in crowded spots. During the Campaign, 60,000 masks were distributed to the public. Currently, in Yangon, about 96 bus lines are operating with 2,500 buses and about 500,000 persons use the public transport a day.

According the World Health Organization (WHO), researchers in South Africa and around the world are conducting studies to better understand many aspects of Omicron and will continue to share the findings of these studies as they become available. The number of people testing positive has risen in areas of South Africa. It is not yet clear whether infection with Omicron causes more severe disease compared to infections with other variants, including Delta.

All variants of COVID-19, including the Delta variant that is dominant worldwide, can cause severe disease or death, in particular for the most vulnerable people, and thus prevention is always key. Preliminary evidence suggests there may be an increased risk of reinfection with Omicron (ie, people who have previously had COVID-19 could become reinfected more easily with Omicron), as compared to other variants of concern,