EDITORIAL: Good news on Omicron severity

 

https://torontosun.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-good-news-on-omicron-severity

All signs still point to the Omicron variant being a milder form of COVID-19.Advertisement

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On Friday morning, Bloomberg News reinforced this with a story that began: “South Africa delivered some positive news on the Omicron coronavirus variant on Friday, reporting a much lower rate of hospital admissions and signs that the wave of infections may be peaking.”

The news gets even better: “Only 1.7% of identified COVID-19 cases were admitted to hospital in the second week of infections in the fourth wave, compared with 19% in the same week of the third Delta-driven wave, South African Health Minister Joe Phaahla said at a press conference.”

Meanwhile, experts from other places are saying the same.

Dr. Tim Spector, an epidemiologist from Britain, told media that most cases are like a “severe cold” and that Omicron so far seems to cause “fairly mild” illness.

There is to date only one reported death related to the Omicron variant, and it’s not clear to what degree COVID-19 was even the cause of death for that individual.