If Omicron is less severe, why are Covid deaths increasing?

And Covid-related deaths continue to rise as well. On 28 January, Australia suffered its deadliest day of the pandemic so far, with nearly 100 deaths.

In the US, Omicron is killing an average of 2,200 people every day, according to a Reuters analysis – more than the delta version, which reached a seven-day average of 2,078 in September last year.

But scientists have found that Omicron is less severe than the delta version, and more people have now been vaccinated – with more than 10 billion vaccine doses distributed globally.

Omicron is more permeable than Delta

As we have seen during the two years of the pandemic, deaths have lagged behind the increase in the number of cases, so we are likely to see an increase in the death count as omicron cases continue to rise in some countries, including Russia and Brazil.

Omicron has been found to spread much faster than the previously dominant delta variant – studies show it is four times more transmittable.

Most of those who die from Omicron in the US have not been vaccinated, indicating that vaccines make a difference in reducing hospitalizations and deaths.

“More infectious forms move through populations much faster,” Wafa al-Sadr, professor of epidemiology and medicine at Columbia University in New York City, told Reuters. “Even if such new variants cause less severe disease (particularly among those who have been vaccinated and outgrow), we can still avoid hospitalization and unvaccinated and unvaccinated patients. Will see an increase in deaths without the boost.

“Until we see a reduction in deaths, it will take some time because very sick people with COVID are hospitalized for longer periods of time,” he said.

Omicron is less severe but ‘not mild’

“We have increasing information that Omicron is less severe than Delta, but it is still a dangerous virus,” Dr Maria Van Kerkhove of the World Health Organization explained the impact of the variant in a recent video.

“We are learning that people with underlying conditions, people of advanced age, unvaccinated people can have a severe form of COVID-19 after infection with Omicron.

“We know people are still hospitalized [with Omicron] is dying as well, so it’s important that we have information that’s accurate, which suggests it’s less severe than Delta, but it’s not mild.”

what can we do to protect ourselves

Get vaccinated, but still take other measures to reduce transmission and disease, Dr. Van Kerkhove says.

“We know that vaccination is incredibly protective against serious illness and death, but it also prevents some infections and some onward transmission, but this is not true in terms of preventing infection and transmission.

“That is why we also advise people to protect themselves from risk. physical distancing, wearing a well-fitting mask over your nose and mouth, making sure your hands are clean, avoiding crowds, working from home if possible, getting tested and ensuring that you are Be there take care – all these measures, this layered approach, are ways you can protect yourself and protect yourself from getting infected and passing the virus on to someone else.”