Medical staff on a ward for Covid-19 patients at King's College Hospital in south-east London. PA
Medical staff on a ward for Covid-19 patients at King's College Hospital in south-east London. PA
Medical staff on a ward for Covid-19 patients at King's College Hospital in south-east London. PA
Medical staff on a ward for Covid-19 patients at King's College Hospital in south-east London. PA

Hospital admissions 'up to 70% less likely' with Omicron


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The highly contagious Omicron strain of coronavirus that is driving record-high infections also appears to be a less severe form of the disease.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said patients were between 31-45 per cent less likely to need to go to hospital emergency wards and between 50-70 per cent less likely to be admitted to hospital for treatment.

Omicron is behind the wave of Covid-19 hitting the UK as it threatens to become the dominant strain in Germany, France and elsewhere.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid welcomed the preliminary findings and stressed the key weapon in the government’s arsenal was delivering booster shots to as many people as possible.

“This new UKHSA data on Omicron is promising — while two doses of the vaccine aren't enough, we know boosters offer significant protection against the variant and early evidence suggests this strain may be less severe than Delta,” he said.

“However, cases of the variant continue to rise at an extraordinary rate — already surpassing the record daily number in the pandemic.”

Other studies have reported similar findings.

Omicron is associated with a two-thirds reduction in the risk of needing hospital treatment compared with the Delta variant, researchers in Scotland found. But it is 10 times more likely than Delta to infect people who had previously contracted Covid-19.

In South Africa, people contracting Covid-19 are 80 per cent less likely to need hospital treatment if they catch the new variant, compared with other strains.

Omicron infections are also associated with a 70 per cent lower risk of severe disease than Delta, the study from the South African National Institute for Communicable Diseases showed.

The findings will lead to hopes that the chances of further restrictions being imposed are reduced.

Mr Javid said there will be no further announcements on restrictions in England before Christmas.

“We are not planning any further announcements this week,” he said.

“Despite the caution that we are all taking, people should enjoy their Christmases with their families and their friends — of course, remain cautious.

“We will keep the situation under review. We are learning more all the time as we have done from this new data.

“We will keep analysing that data and if we need to do anything more, we will, but nothing more is going to happen before Christmas.”

The UK has embarked on a booster campaign, with more than 30 million extra doses of Covid-19 vaccine issued, approaching one million a day this week.

On Thursday, British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca said that a third, or booster, dose of its Covid-19 vaccine “significantly” lifted antibody levels against the Omicron strain in a laboratory study.

“The third dose booster vaccination neutralised the Omicron variant to levels that were broadly similar to those observed … after the second dose against the Delta variant,” the company said.

In a preprint study, scientists in the Scotland-wide Early Pandemic Evaluation and Enhanced Surveillance of Covid-19 suggested those infected with Omicron were less likely to end up in hospital.

But the study said that more data was needed before definite conclusions could be drawn.

Jim McMenamin, the national Covid-19 incident director for Public Health Scotland, called the findings “qualified good news”, but said it was “important we don't get ahead of ourselves”.

“The potentially serious impact of Omicron on a population cannot be underestimated,” Dr McMenamin said.

“And a smaller proportion of a much greater number of cases that might ultimately require treatment can still mean a substantial number of people may experience severe Covid infections that could lead to potential hospitalisation.”

Authors of the paper, which has yet to be reviewed by peers, said if the Omicron coronavirus had been like the Delta variant in Scotland, they would have expected to about 47 people to be in hospital with the virus. But so far, there are only 15.

Imperial College London researchers said the risk of any visit to hospital with Omicron was between 20 per cent and 25 per cent lower than with Delta.

“Overall, we find evidence of a reduction in the risk of hospitalisation for Omicron relative to Delta infections, averaging over all cases in the study period,” they said.

The study analysed data from PCR-test confirmed cases in England between December 1 and 14.

The UKHSA is expected to release more data on Omicron on Thursday.

Despite the studies suggesting Omicron may result in milder infection compared with the Delta variant, there are still fears the UK's National Health Service could buckle under the wave because it is already under increasing strain.

Paramedics unload a patient from an ambulance outside the Royal London hospital. AFP
Paramedics unload a patient from an ambulance outside the Royal London hospital. AFP

Patricia Marquis, regional director at the Royal College of Nursing, said NHS staff were exhausted and were carrying workloads they would not have in normal times.

“What we’ve seen is nurses being physically and mentally exhausted,” she told Sky News. “They’re being redeployed, they’re doing things that they wouldn’t normally be doing. People are trying to cover the work of one, two, three, four colleagues who might be missing.”

Paul Elliott, chairman of epidemiology at Imperial College London, said a recent government-backed React-1 study conducted at the institution showed the infection rate among children aged 12 to 17 had halved compared with a previous study weeks earlier.

“So, we do see the real benefits of the vaccination programme in those older schoolchildren,” he told Sky News.

In Britain, vaccines are available for those over the age of 12

Prof Elliott said a “good proportion” of children over 12 who took part in the study had been vaccinated against Covid-19 and this age group reported fewer cases than children in primary school.

“Very interesting, what we saw from our previous survey which ended on November 5 to the current survey, which was between November 23 and December 15, we saw a drop by about half in the infection rate in the older schoolchildren,” he added.

“But the youngest children that you’re talking about, their prevalence remained about the same, about 4-5 per cent.

“So, we do see the real benefits of the vaccination programme in those older schoolchildren coming through in the data that we’re collecting.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged people to “take extra special care to protect yourselves and your families against Covid” over the Christmas period.

“The Omicron variant continues to surge across the country faster than anything we have seen before,” Mr Johnson said in an article for The Sun.

“So, please keep following the guidance, remembering to wear a mask when needed, open the windows for ventilation and take a test before visiting your nearest and dearest, particularly if they are elderly or vulnerable.”

In a video message posted on Twitter, the prime minster thanked everyone involved in efforts to send Covid-19 tests to people across the country. He said in the next month, up to 200 million lateral flow tests were due to be distributed by mail, helping ministers to keep track of cases.

Azra Ghani, head of infectious disease at Imperial College London, who took part in the study, said hospital admission figures for Omicron could go up if the variant became more prominent in older age groups.

“I think all of these studies are pointing at a sort of very similar picture but also pointing out that the context does matter,” she told the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“So, we know, for example, in South Africa, we have a younger population but also very high previous levels of infection with the Delta variant wave there. So, all of these patterns make a difference in terms of the likelihood of seeing the population needing to attend hospital.

“We still have only a very small number of cases attending hospital so far and we need to bear in mind that Omicron has really been circulating in a younger population.

“The big concern is that over this Christmas period, there’s going to be a lot more intergenerational mixing and we don’t really know yet what that severity pattern might look like in the oldest age groups.”

Andrew Hayward, director of the UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care and a member of Nervtag, said that the two new British studies of Omicron and emerging South African data showed “we can reasonably say, among mainly young adults who normally have mild disease anyway, that the severity is reduced compared to Delta".

“And that’s reduced maybe nearly a half in terms of likelihood of being admitted to hospital and maybe by about a quarter in terms of the chance of going to accident and emergency,” he told the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“I think what we can’t necessarily extrapolate to what level of reduction in severity we might see in elderly people and we also know that in elderly people the risk of severe disease throughout the pandemic has always been massively high.”

THE CLOWN OF GAZA

Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah 

Starring: Alaa Meqdad

Rating: 4/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

The specs: 2018 Maserati GranTurismo/GranCabrio

Price, base Dh485,000 (GranTurismo) and Dh575,000 (GranCabrio)

Engine 4.7L V8

Transmission Six-speed automatic

Power 460hp @ 7,000rpm

Torque 520Nm @ 4,750rpm

Fuel economy, combined 14.3L (GranTurismo) and 14.5L (GranCabrio) / 100km

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo

Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic

Power: 242bhp

Torque: 370Nm

Price: Dh136,814

PROFILE OF HALAN

Started: November 2017

Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: transport and logistics

Size: 150 employees

Investment: approximately $8 million

Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar

Business Insights
  • Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
  • The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
  • US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
Story%20behind%20the%20UAE%20flag
%3Cp%3EThe%20UAE%20flag%20was%20first%20unveiled%20on%20December%202%2C%201971%2C%20the%20day%20the%20UAE%20was%20formed.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIt%20was%20designed%20by%20Abdullah%20Mohammed%20Al%20Maainah%2C%2019%2C%20an%20Emirati%20from%20Abu%20Dhabi.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EMr%20Al%20Maainah%20said%20in%20an%20interview%20with%20%3Cem%3EThe%20National%3C%2Fem%3E%20in%202011%20he%20chose%20the%20colours%20for%20local%20reasons.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20black%20represents%20the%20oil%20riches%20that%20transformed%20the%20UAE%2C%20green%20stands%20for%20fertility%20and%20the%20red%20and%20white%20colours%20were%20drawn%20from%20those%20found%20in%20existing%20emirate%20flags.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23

UAE fixtures:
Men

Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final

Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The alternatives

• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.

• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.

• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.

2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.

• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases -  but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.

Honeymoonish
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If you go

The flights

There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.

The trip

Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.

The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.

 

Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Cargoz%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDate%20started%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20January%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Premlal%20Pullisserry%20and%20Lijo%20Antony%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2030%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Updated: December 23, 2021, 6:38 PM`