Omicron is spreading quicker than Delta: Research Says.
With the continued spread of Omicron cases across the globe, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that the numbers of infections for the latest variant are growing about every three days.
According to the WHO, the new strain of coronavirus is spreading more quickly than those of the Delta variant in the countries that have confirmed community transmission. The incidence of the further strain increases within 1.5 to three days.
As of December 16, the Omicron variant has been discovered in 89 countries in all of the six WHO regions.
The knowledge about Omicron is still in flux. Consequently, omicron variation will change as more information becomes available.
In a report on Sunday (December 18), The United Nations` health agency stated that there is evidence that Omicron is a significant improvement in its growth rate over Delta.
“It is spreading significantly faster than the Delta variant in countries with documented community transmission, with a doubling time between 1.5-3 days. Omicron is spreading rapidly in countries with high levels of population immunity, and it remains uncertain to what extent the observed rapid growth rate can be attributed to immune evasion, intrinsic increased transmission, or a combination of both,” WHO stated.
Based on the available information, it’s likely that Omicron will be more advanced than Delta in the areas where community transmission occurs.
The UN agency added a lack of available data on the degree of clinical degree associated with Omicron.
In addition, more information is needed to determine the severity profile and how it can be affected by vaccinations and existing immunity.
According to WHO, Hospitalizations across the UK and South Africa continue to rise. Given the rapidly growing cases, many healthcare facilities might be overwhelmed shortly.
There is still a limited amount of information, and no peer-reviewed studies, on the efficacy or effectiveness of the vaccine until now for Omicron, The UN agency stated.
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