The Omicron variant could spell the top of the coronavirus pandemic, one in every of Denmark’s prime public well being officers has claimed.
Tyra Grove Krause, who leads the Statens Serum Institut (SSI) – the Danish equal of the UK Well being Safety Company (UKHSA), mentioned we could also be experiencing the final wave of the pandemic as mass Omicron infections may present degree of herd immunity.
She mentioned Covid will proceed to have a maintain over individuals’s lives for the following two months however infections would then begin to subside.
Requested how lengthy the virus can have a decisive affect on the lives of Danes, she mentioned: “I believe it’s going to have that within the subsequent two months, after which I hope the an infection will begin to subside and we get our regular lives again.”
She added: “This can be what’s going to carry us out of the pandemic, in order that this turns into the final wave.”
A report from the SSI launched on Monday means that the danger of being hospitalised with Omicron is lower than half that of the Delta variant. It echoes an earlier research from the UKHSA which discovered the danger from Omicron was solely one-third of that from Delta.
However Ms Krause, talking to Denmark’s TV 2 after the report was revealed, mentioned healthcare programs would nonetheless be beneath stress within the coming weeks regardless of the decrease danger.
She mentioned: “Omicron will peak on the finish of January, and in February we are going to see declining an infection stress and reducing stress on the healthcare system. However we have now to make an effort in January, as a result of it is going to be arduous to get by.”
The report, which has but to be peer-reviewed, additionally supplied perception into why Omicron was so transmissible.
It suggests the virus is principally spreading extra quickly as a result of it’s higher at evading immunity obtained from vaccines.
The scientists studied almost 12,000 Danish households in mid-December and located that Omicron was 2.7 to three.7 occasions extra infectious than the Delta variant amongst vaccinated individuals.
The report additionally means that Omicron is extra transmissible however causes much less critical illness, as has been suspected by scientists for the reason that emergence of the variant in November.
The report authors mentioned: “Omicron is right here to remain, and it’ll present some huge unfold of an infection within the coming month. When it is over, we’re in a greater place than we had been earlier than.”
Ms Krause’s evaluation follows optimistic remarks from World Well being Organisation chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
On New Yr’s Eve, he mentioned “the chance to show this pandemic round for good is in our grasp”.
However he warned that inequality within the world vaccine rollout had the potential to extend the pandemic.
He mentioned: “The longer inequity continues, the upper the dangers of the virus evolving in methods we are able to’t stop or predict … If we finish inequity, we finish the pandemic.”
He added: “If we accomplish that, we are going to save lives, relieve the burden on stretched well being programs, and provides respite to the legions of well being employees who’ve toiled tirelessly and sacrificed a lot for 2 years.”
“We’ll get our lives again, enable youngsters to return to highschool, and folks to work.”
Kaynak: briturkish.com
