Two weeks after the World Health Organization designated Omicron a variant of concern, we know a lot more about its potential threat, with initial data suggesting it seems to be associated with less severe illness and fewer ICU admissions.
Two weeks after the World Health Organization designated Omicron a variant of concern, it has dominated headlines, sparking renewed fears about the spread of COVID-19 and forcing countries to strengthen their vaccination campaigns with booster shots.
ICU occupancy in South African patients with confirmed Omicron cases sits at just 6.3 per cent, much lower than previous Delta wave, with fewer patients requiring supplemental oxygen to help them breathe.Experts say it is possible that Omicron has mutated to become less severe – but it’s too early to make that assumption, especially without concreate data to show how many people that are sick with Omicron are vaccinated or have had previous COVID-19 infections.
However, infections have yet to reach the peak of more than 26,000 daily cases during a third wave fuelled by the Delta variant.dominant strain in the next two to four weeks Some Canadian provinces are already seeing a jump in daily case counts, which could be aggravated further by the spread of Omicron, Tam said.
Lead study author Venky Soundararajan of Cambridge, Mass.-based data analytics firm nference, suggests this may mean Omicron is attempting to make itself look “more human” to trick the immune system.In an update this week, WHO said existing vaccines should still protect people who contract the Omicron variant from severe illness, but noted that preliminary lab tests from South Africa suggest the variant can partially evade the Pfizer jab.
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