Omicron numbers doubling in 1.5-3 days in some areas: WHO

Omicron Numbers Doubling in 1.5-3 days in Some Areas
Geneva: The Omicron coronavirus variant has been reported in 89 countries and the number of cases is doubling in 1.5 to 3 days in areas with community transmission, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday.

Omicron is spreading rapidly in countries with high levels of population immunity, but it is unclear if this is due to the virus' ability to evade immunity, its inherent increased transmissibility or a combination of both, the WHO said in an update.


The agency designated Omicron a variant of concern on November 26, soon after it was first detected, and much is still not known about it, including the severity of the illness it causes.

"There are still limited data on the clinical severity of Omicron," the WHO said. "More data are needed to understand the severity profile and how severity is impacted by vaccination and pre-existing immunity."

'Tidal Wave'
The WHO warned that with cases rising so rapidly, hospitals could be overwhelmed in some places.

"Hospitalisations in the UK and South Africa continue to rise, and given rapidly increasing case counts, it is possible that many healthcare systems may become quickly overwhelmed."



In the US, for instance, hospitalisations for Covid-19 have jumped 45% over the last month.

May Cause Many Additional Deaths: Fauci
Confirmed cases have increased 40% to a weeklong average of 123,000 new US infections a day, according to a Reuters tally.

Pfizer Inc, one of the chief vaccine makers, on Friday predicted the pandemic would last until 2024 and said a lower-dose version of its vaccine for children aged 2 to 4 generated a weaker-than-expected immune response, which could delay authorisation.

Public health officials say it is likely to become the dominant variant in the country. "Tidal wave of Omicron likely coming to a hospital near you soon," Dr Tom Frieden, former chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), posted on Twitter.

Preliminary data in South Africa suggests Omicron leads to milder illness than the Delta variant, which is still driving much of the current wave of infections. But a British study released on Friday found no difference in severity between the two variants.

Either way, Omicron's extraordinary level of infectiousness means it could cause many additional deaths, the top US infectious disease expert, Dr Anthony Fauci, said on Friday. "When you have a larger number of people getting infected, the total amount of hospitalisations is going to be more. That's just simple math," he said.

Fauci also said officials are discussing whether to redefine what it means to be "fully vaccinated" to include booster shots.