World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned that holiday gatherings over Christmas could result in a surge of COVID-19, and urged people to cancel such events in light of the new Omicron variant. Health experts in South Africa, where the new variant was first discovered, have said Omicron is not driving up hospitalizations or fatalities in the country to a significant degree. Preliminary data also suggest that the Omicron variant of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus may present milder symptoms than other strains, however the WHO said previously there was limited data on its severity. But speaking during a briefing in Geneva on Monday, Ghebreyesus said there was now “consistent evidence” that Omicron is spreading faster than the Delta variant, and cited this as reason for his advice. “There is now consistent evidence that Omicron is spreading significantly faster than the Delta variant, and it’s more likely that people who have …