Kovid: Symptoms of the Omigran variant "appear less", but still pose a risk to health systems

James Gallagher
Health and Science Reporter, BBC News, Paris

December 23, 2021, 01:12 GMT

Image source, Getty Images

Preliminary studies published in the UK and South Africa indicate that symptoms caused by the Omigran variant appear to be less severe.

Preliminary evidence indicates that fewer individuals need hospital treatment to deal with the virus, with a reduction of 30% to 70% compared to other types.

However, despite Omigran being mild, there are still concerns that the growing number of cases is high A Hospitals.

For the first time since the outbreak, more than 100,000 cases were reported in the UK in a single day.

In Scotland, it examined the number of people infected with the virus and hospitalized. Investigation details show that 47 people would have come to a healthcare facility if the Omigron Delta variant had acted similarly. In contrast, only 15 people are currently hospitalized.

The researchers found a two-thirds reduction in the number of people in need of hospital care, but the study found that the elderly represent the lowest-risk population.

Jim McMahon, director of the national event for the Govt-19 for the Scottish Public Health Service, described the findings as “good news.”

He said the data “fills the void” in protecting vaccines against being admitted to the hospital, but warned that “it is important not to progress beyond us”.

The Omigran variant is spreading incredibly fast and if a large number of cases arise, it may reduce the benefits we have received in the fight against infection.

Mark Woolhaus, a professor at the University of Edinburgh, said: “One infection may be relatively mild in most people, but all of these infections occur simultaneously and put severe pressure on the NHS (National Health Service).”

Why less intensity?

Omigran is believed to be a combination of reduced severity, variant properties and high levels of immunity provided by vaccines and previous infections.

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The Omigron variant is spreading fast. More than 100,000 cases were reported in the UK in a single day

Analysis by Imperial College London found that its mutations made it a milder virus than the delta variant.

The researchers said the chances of reaching the emergency room after being affected by Omigran were 11% lower compared to Delta.

The same analysis shows that having a vaccinated population reduces the risk of contracting omigran disease and going to the emergency room by 25% to 30%. This reduces the need to stay in the hospital for more than one day by approximately 40%.

Professor Neil Ferguson, one of the researchers, commented: “This is clearly good news to a point.”

However, he warned that “not enough to drastically change the model” and that the speed of Omigron’s spread, i.e. “the number of hospitals still likely to receive computers at risk.

Professor Peter Openshaw, an immunologist at Imperial College London, argues that the initial symptoms may be less variable, but all three studies argue that it “turned out to be a cold”. “Misinterpretation”.

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Some laboratory studies shed light on why Omigron may be less intense.

The University of Hong Kong has found that this variant affects the airways better, but does not penetrate the tissues of the lungs in the same way, where it causes more damage.

For its part, the University of Cambridge found that variation in binding to lung cells was not so effective, occurring in the lungs of critically ill patients.