Omicron is less damaging to lungs than a dose of Delta

OMICRON is less deadly than other variants because it does not cause as much damage to the lungs, scientists have found.

American and Japanese studies on hamsters and mice discovered that those infected with Omicron had a tenth less of the virus in their lungs compared with those infected with other variants, including Delta.

They were also more likely to survive and did not lose as much weight.

The conclusions support findings from a study by researchers at the University of Hong Kong, who noted that Omicron grew at a much slower rate in 12 human lung samples from Covid sufferers compared with earlier strains of the virus. Recent British analysis of more than one million cases of Omicron and Delta variants found the risk of hospitalisation with the now-dominant variant is about a third that of its predecessor.

It comes as a pregnant young woman in Israel became the first person in the world to be diagnosed simultaneously with Covid and the flu.

Health officials are monitoring whether the combination of viruses – dubbed ‘flurona’ – causes any greater severity of illness.