COVID Omicron
The Omicron variant is a variant of SARS-CoV-2 that was first reported to the World Health Organization from South Africa on 24 November 2021. Omicron multiplies around 70 times faster than the Delta variant in the bronchi but evidence suggests it is less severe than previous strains, especially compared to the Delta variant. Omicron might be less able to penetrate deep lung tissue. Omicron infections are 91 percent less fatal than the delta variant, with 51 percent less risk of hospitalization. However, the estimated difference in the intrinsic risk of hospitalization largely decreases to 0–30 percent when reinfections are excluded. Overall, the extremely high rate of spread, combined with its ability to evade both double vaccination and the body's immune system, means the total number of patients requiring hospital care at any given time is still of great concern.
