At once, two recent studies covering thousands of patients from the UK showed that those infected with the omicron variant are much less likely to need medical attention and hospitalization compared to those infected with the delta strain. However, the total number of infected people is constantly growing, which can again lead to an overload of the healthcare system.
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In the first study, scientists analyzed data from 325 thousand cases of coronavirus in the first half of December in England. Omicrons accounted for only 56 thousand, but these data can already be considered quite representative. Patients with omicron are 40% less likely to be hospitalized and 20% less likely to seek medical help than patients with the delta strain.
The second study was conducted in Scotland. Scientists from the University of Edinburgh studied data from 24,000 people and found that the risk of hospitalization was two-thirds lower with the omicron than with the delta. It is worth noting that the majority of omicron cases in Scotland were among young people aged 20 to 39, whose risk of getting a severe form of coronavirus is lower than that of the older generation.
Despite the data on the easier flow of the omicron compared to the delta, scientists are alarmed by the speed with which this strain is transmitted. Across Europe, new restrictions are introduced before and after the Catholic Christmas due to the rapid spread of the infection.
The rise in cases of infection with omicron and other strains is putting Europe's health systems on the brink of collapse, Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, has warned. He said a “new storm” was coming and governments should brace for a massive increase in coronavirus cases. >
Due to the threat, Germany and Portugal are closing nightclubs and banning gatherings of more than 10. Finland, Sweden and the Netherlands are closing bars, cafes and restaurants early.