‘Omicron spreading more than twice as fast as Delta’

‘Omicron spreading more than twice as fast as Delta’

05.12.2021

Underscoring increasing concerns about Omicron, scientists in South Africa said on Friday that the newest variant appeared to spread more than twice as quickly as Delta, which had been considered the most contagious version of the virus. Omicron’s rapid spread results from a combination of contagiousness and an ability to dodge the body’s immune defences, the researchers said. But the contribution of each factor is not yet certain. “We’re not sure what that mixture is,” said Carl Pearson, a mathematical modeller at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine who led the analysis. “It’s possible that it might even be less transmissible than Delta.” he said. The research is yet to be peer-reviewed. On Thursday, researchers said the variant may partly dodge immunity gained from a previous infection. It’s still unclear whether, or to what degree, Omicron may evade protection conferred by the vaccines. But some experts said they would expect the outcome to be similar.

Meanwhile, South African health officials on Saturday said that higher hospital admissions among children during fourth Covid wave driven by the Omicron variant should not prompt panic as infections have been mild. NYT & REUTERS

Tens of thousands of protesters marched through several European countries, including Austria, the Netherlands and Germany, on Saturday to demonstrate against Covid restrictions. Over 40,000 demonstrators gathered in Vienna (above) demanding a new election

Bolsonaro to face probe for linking Covid vax & AIDS

ABrazilian Supreme Court justice ordered on Friday that a probe be opened into President Jair Bolsonaro for having said during a live broadcast on multiple online platforms in October that Covid vaccines may raise the chance of contracting AIDS. Bolsonaro was temporarily suspended from both Facebook and YouTube after his comments. The decision came in response to a request from a Senate investigative committee. However, few expect any significant action given that the current top prosecutor was appointed by Bolsonaro. REUTERS