Omicron is spreading faster than any other Covid variant, WHO warns

[SheltieLover]

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2021/12/14/who-says-omicron-is-spreading-at-a-rate-not-seen-with-any-other-covid-variant.html

"Omicron is spreading at a rate we have not seen with any previous variant," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a Covid update in Geneva
"The reality is that omicron is probably in most countries, even if it hasn't been detected yet," he said.

Tedros said vaccines alone will not protect against omicron. He called for countries to use masks, social distancing, proper ventilation and hand hygiene to prevent contagion.

More at link. This is consistent with Dr. Eric Ding's twitter.

😷

[OAITW r.2.0]

1. And so we start another year living with COVID.

Year 3. More time alone and masks/social distancing in the public. But, freedumb!

[SheltieLover]

2. Yup

Per Dr. Ding's twitter, a much more contagious, but milder, disease will have many more fatilities. 😓 (He isa Harvard epidemiologist.)

[Delphinus]

3. Thank you

I haven't read him for a few days - what with our governmental events here - and will go find him.

[SheltieLover]

4. Here's his link

https://mobile.twitter.com/DrEricDing?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Yes that is what I'm hearing from my sources as well

But the outcome of Omicron cases is not being reported much. First they said it was mild, then they said it's spreading, then they haven't said much, some vaccines are defensive against it, some not. You don't know what to think.

[SheltieLover]

7. Dr. Ding states more contagious but milder will result in many more deatgs

I read his twitter. He is a Harvard epidemiologist & absolutely tells it like it is! Has been 100% correct all along.

https://mobile.twitter.com/DrEricDing?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor



😷

[beaglelover]

9. How will milder disease lead to MORE deaths???

[boston bean]

10. Probably because more people will catch it. Therefore more will die from it.

[NickB79]

13. If you cut the fatality rate in half, but double infectivity, you get the same number dead

The faster spread compensates for the lower lethality.

Now, if you cut it's lethality in half, but TRIPLE the infectivity, you end up with 50% MORE dead.

And if you flood the hospitals with sick people, the medical personnel are overwhelmed and can't give quality care to patients. Patients who would have lived with sufficient care, die instead.

[LisaL]

15. Exactly. Many people here don't get it.

If it spreads faster and infects more people (which it certainly looks to be doing), more people end up in hospitals which are already overwhelmed.
Then even those who can be saved might end up dead.
It is also easily breaking through the vaccines.
It could always be worse-it could have been more infectious and more lethal. But it isn't exactly good.

[beaglelover]

27. 1 person has died from Omicron worldwide so far.

So, it's very likely if one is infected with Omicron they'll have some sniffles and maybe a cough. They aren't going to be rushing to the ER to suck on a ventilator.

[bucolic_frolic]

11. Yeah, gotcha, thanks

Counties here reporting more cases all of a sudden, so this wave is building. Back to masking I guess.

[beaglelover]

6. There's been 1 death from Omicron worldwide so far.

It's good news that it spreads fast and is not severe.

[SheltieLover]

8. Good news?

[BlueCheeseAgain]

23. I guess one way for the serious part of the pandemic to end...

... is for a very common, very mild variant to dominate, and to crowd out the deadlier ones. Whether omicron is that one isn't clear yet, I guess.

[Drunken Irishman]

24. There are many liberals who don't want the pandemic to end.

Every new variant means we need to hole ourselves up in our houses again. That mentality is just killing us. I could understand it when the vaccine wasn't available but not now - not with a vaccine readily available for anyone who wants it. The fact remains, a staggering amount of people who are dying are the unvaccinated. This remains a pandemic of the unvaccinated. For me? I have more or less returned to my 2019 life. The only difference is that I work from home. But I go out. I meet with friends. I've gone to concerts. I've gone to movies. I've gone drinking. I will wear a mask. I will keep up with my boosters. But I am not going to spend the next ten years locked down because 30% of the country refuses to get vaccinated.

[beaglelover]

28. I'm with you 100%!

I'm back to living my life. I even go into the office 3 days a week. It's not healthy physically or emotionally to stay at home. Get out, breathe some fresh air and live your life! Wear a mask when warranted and get your booster shot(s).

[Tomconroy]

12. In South Africa hospitals have not been overwhelmed and deaths

have not increased but it's probably too early to know what's going on for sure. We should have a clearer picture by the end of the year.

[SheltieLover]

14. Take a look at this Harvard epidemiologist's twitter

https://mobile.twitter.com/DrEricDing?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

[Tomconroy]

16. I think this is a pretty good article from a Canadian newspaper

about the situation in South Africa, posted just a couple of hours ago:

https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/covid-19-what-we-know-about-omicron-after-early-data-out-of-south-africa

[LisaL]

17. 29% less severe doesn't exactly sound super exciting.

Especially since it is more infectious and is able to break through the vaccines more easily.

[JanMichael]

18. Try looking at UK Hospitals. That picture is pretty clear now.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/13/covid-nhs-in-crisis-mode-as-hospitals-told-to-discharge-patients-where-possible

That's probably a better comparison.

Omichron is not pie in the sky better. It is vastly more contagious so while it is mildly milder it hits so many more people that hospitals will get overwhelmed again and deaths will continue.

[LisaL]

19. Yep. It's not good.

And it breaks through the vaccines.

[Tomconroy]

20. At the moment UK hospitalizations are pretty low. Obviously

they are making preparations. But they don't actually know what is going to happen yet. Too little data.

[JanMichael]

21. They are because they know what has started.

"Early evidence shows that Omicron is spreading much faster than Delta and that vaccine protection against symptomatic disease from Omicron is reduced.

"Data on severity will become clearer over the coming weeks but hospitalisations from Omicron are already occurring and these are likely to increase rapidly."

Ok so they aren't bursting at the seams. Yet.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ndtv.com/world-news/uk-raises-covid-alert-level-after-rapid-increase-in-omicron-cases-2648076/amp/1

Go ahead. It'll be fine, right?

[Tomconroy]

22. I have no idea.

[roamer65]

25. Omicron is the variant that will push the pandemic into 2023.

IMO

[mvd]

26. Well even if it is less severe, it shouldn't be taken lightly

No one wants to get it. It’s still COVID and no fun.