Omicron infects 70 times faster but less severe, study says

According to a statement from the university Wednesday, the supercharged speed of diffusion of omicrons was found in the human bronchus 24 hours after infection. The study, by a team of researchers led by Michael Chan Chi-wai, found that the latest version of anxiety replicated less efficiently in human lung tissue than the original stress — 10 times less — which may indicate ” Low disease severity.”

The study, which suggests that Omicron jumps rapidly from person to person but does not cause as much damage to lung tissue as its predecessor strains did, is currently under peer review for publication in a scientific journal. Bloomberg did not have access to the entire study.

As scientists race to determine how transmissible, virulent, and reversible Omicron is – it has traveled to at least 77 countries within three weeks after it was first found in southern Africa – new research out of Hong Kong shows some people. Physicians say that most infections so far have been mostly mild and do not require hospitalization.

Many researchers are now looking at whether the most mutated coronavirus variant will outcompete other strains and gradually fade away as an endemic to the pandemic where the world learns to live with the pathogen.

urged caution

Preliminary observations have shown that most patients do not require oxygen or intensive treatment for the disease, but many public health experts and bodies, including the World Health Organization, have urged caution. There have been several cases of success and re-infection with infection in young people without any significant risk factors.

Countries around the world have reacted with urgency and caution, erecting travel barriers amid widespread fears that Omicron will spark a new surge in infections and add to the burden of hospitals.

Even if Omicron proves to be conclusively less serious, its wildfires could escalate and challenge healthcare facilities around the world. The University of Hong Kong study also warns against taking the new version lightly.

“By infecting many more people, a very contagious virus can cause more severe illness and death, even if the virus is less pathogenic,” Chan, lead author of the study, said in the statement. Given that the Omicron variant may partially evade immunity from vaccines and previous infections, “the overall threat from the Omicron variant is likely to be very significant.”