UK,SPAIN,CANADA: Two studies from Britain published Wednesday showed COVID-19 infections with Omicron are less likely to result in hospitalization compared to the Delta variant, the latest research confirming a trend first identified in South Africa.
The preliminary studies — one paper from Scotland and the other from England — were cautiously welcomed by experts, who nonetheless stressed that any advantage in milder outcomes could still be negated by the new strain’s heightened infectiousness, which may still lead to more overall severe cases.
The second paper, from England, found there was a 20-25 percent reduction in any attendance at the hospital for Omicron compared to Delta, and a 40-45 percent reduction in hospitalizations lasting one night or longer, in other words, “admissions.”
Meanwhile, Britain reported more than 100,000 new daily COVID-19 cases for the first time since widespread testing was introduced, with 106,122 on Wednesday compared with 90,629 on Tuesday.
There were 140 deaths within 28 days of a positive case, down from 172 the previous day, according to Government data.
Meanwhile, Spain will reintroduce mandatory face masks outdoors and deploy troops to speed up booster shots in a bid to stem a rise in omicron cases.
Meanwhile, Aircraft passengers are twice or even three times more likely to catch COVID-19 during a flight since the emergence of the omicron variant, according to the top medical adviser to the world’s airlines.
The new strain is highly transmissible and has become dominant in a matter of weeks, accounting for more than 70% of all new cases in the US alone. While hospital-grade air filters on modern passenger jets make the risk of infection much lower on planes than in crowded places on the ground such as shopping malls, omicron is rapidly spreading just as more travellers take to the skies for year-end holidays and family reunions. – THE HINDUSTAN TIMES, INDIAN EXPRESS