Omicron 'may be less dangerous but poses major public health risk'

A study by UK scientists says more data is needed on the variant before firm conclusions can be made

Pedestrians wearing face coverings to combat the spread of Covid-19 at Liverpool Street train station in central London. AFP

Omicron: Live updates on the spread of the variant

Omicron could have a less damaging effect on the lungs than the Delta variant of Covid-19, but even if that is the case, the extremely high transmissibility of the virus will still present a “major public health challenge”, a UK study has found.

Several experts say that even a less severe variant of Covid-19 could overwhelm hospitals, with disastrous consequences.

The new research by the Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease contradicts a study by Imperial College London, released on Friday, which said there was little evidence that Omicron caused less severe illness than Delta, which is globally dominant but expected to be overtaken by the new strain as the leading cause of illness.

This work suggests that Omicron does appear to have become more immune evasive, but that properties associated with disease progression may be attenuated to some extent

Ravi Gupta,
clinical microbiologist

The Cambridge Institute study said the distinct mutations in the Omicron variant’s spike protein, which make it able to avoid antibodies, may also reduce how it replicates in the lungs and causes severe disease.

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  Children walk through the settlement of Vlakfontein outside Johannesburg in South Africa. Although children under 12 are not taking part in the country's Covid-19 vaccination campaign, cases in young children are on the rise since the discovery of the Omicron variant. AP

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  People wearing face masks to protect against Covid-19 cross the Concorde square in Paris. The World Health Organisation says early evidence suggests the omicron variant may be spreading faster than the highly transmissible delta variant, but brings with it less severe coronavirus disease. AP

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  President Joe Biden delivers remarks in the state dinning room at the White House in Washington. The US president and the vice president held a meeting with members of the White House Covid-19 Response Team on the latest developments related to the Omicron variant. EPA

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  Dr Anthony Fauci, chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden, attends a Covid-19 meeting at the White House. EPA

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  People wait in line to get tested for Covid-19 in Times Square, New York. AFP

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  The Omicron variant of Covid-19 has been detected in at least 19 US states. Health officials are urging Americans to get vaccinated and receive their booster shots. AFP

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  Leonardo Velasco, 4, reacts as he receives a dose of the Sinopharm vaccine in Caracas, Venezuela, Reuters

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  People wear face masks as they ride a bus after the first case of the Omicron variant was detected in Pakistan. The case was reported in a private hospital in Karachi by a patient with a history of international travel. EPA

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  A health care worker prepares a dose of the Pfizer vaccine in Johannesburg, South Africa. Reuters

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  A medical worker holds a sign for visitors to prepare for coronavirus tests at a temporary screening clinic in Seoul, South Korea. AP

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  A child waits to receive a dose of the Sinofarm vaccine in La Paz, after Bolivian President Luis Arce authorised the vaccination of children between five and 11 years old. AFP

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  Ice skaters take a selfie on the ice rink at the Natural History Museum in central London. AFP

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  A health professional points to a Christmas tree made with Covid-19 and flu vaccine vials at the Public Health Basic Unit 'Ernani Agricola' in the Lapa neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. AFP

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  Skaters, most wearing face masks to combat the spread of coronavirus, skate on the ice rink at the Natural History Museum in London. AFP

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  A medical worker prepares a Moderna vaccine on the first day of the re-opening of a Covid-19 vaccination centre in Merignac, on the outskirts of Bordeaux, France. AFP

“These observations highlight that Omicron has gained immune evasion properties while compromising on properties associated with replication and pathogenicity,” the study’s abstract stated.

Pathogenicity is defined as the ability of a virus to cause harm to the human body.

Study leader Ravi Gupta, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) and professor of clinical microbiology at Cambridge, said there are still challenges ahead despite the seemingly positive findings.

He wrote on Twitter: “What does this all mean? Efficient infection of lung cells could correlate with severity of lung disease. Syncitia or fused cells are often seen in respiratory tissues taken following severe disease. Delta was very good at both, in contrast to Omicron. Further work is needed.

“In summary this work suggests that Omicron does appear to have become more immune evasive, but that properties associated with disease progression *may* be attenuated to some extent. The significant growth of Omicron nevertheless represents a major public health challenge.”

The study comes after Sage’s “situation update” said it is “almost certain that there are now hundreds of thousands of new Omicron infections per day” in England, prompting reports that tighter pandemic restrictions could be introduced after Christmas.