Omicron less severe but still threat to health systems
PARIS, Jan 8, (AFP) - Omicron is causing record numbers of cases around the world, and though it causes less severe Covid-19 experts warn this wave still threatens to overwhelm health systems.
Nose and throat, not lungs
Omicron cases are smashing infection records with average new daily cases at nearly two million this week. The illness caused by the Omicron variant of Covid-19 is proving less severe.
The French public health authority says the risk of hospitalisation was about 70 percent lower for Omicron. Experts point out that the lack of severity may be due to widespread immunity thanks to vaccination or previous infection.
But studies on animals point to another peculiarity: rather than affecting the lungs where severe Covid takes root, it seems to proliferate in the nose and throat. This would not only explain the variant's less-dangerous symptoms but also its ability to spread quickly through coughing and sneezing.
Because of this, experts are calling for better mask protection.
The good: The WHO is seeing more evidence that Omicron causes milder symptoms … The bad: Omicron is better at evading vaccinated people’s immunity than Delta … The ugly: COVID survivors could be left with elevated levels of self-attacking antibodies ...
Hospitals on edge
Even though Omicron is causing less severe illness, the surging caseload has scientists urging caution to keep from overwhelming health systems. Unlike previous variant waves, however, this one seems so far to be affecting regular hospital admissions rather than ICU capacity.
Jab immunity weaker
Lab tests show that antibody levels in blood samples from people vaccinated with PfizerBioNTech and Moderna jabs drop when faced with Omicron. The drop is even greater in those vaccinated with AstraZeneca or Sinovac.
A booster seems to increase antibodies. But nobody knows how long the booster will be effective. This does not mean vaccines are useless against Omicron: the body has a secondary immune defence called T-cell response, which fights the virus by attacking infected cells. This secondary response is particularly important in preventing severe forms of illness.
Last wave?
Some experts and officials have openly expressed hope that by spreading a less- severe Covid, Omicron could be helping the planet achieve herd immunity along with jabs. The World Health Organization however is urging caution. “The more Omicron spreads, the more it transmits and the more it replicates, the more likely it is to throw out a new variant,” WHO senior emergencies officer Catherine Smallwood said.
But even if Omicron isn't the last variant, experts think immunity from previous waves might mean the worst will soon be behind us. With vaccines hopefully SARS-CoV-2 will turn into just another airway virus we can live with.