Amid reports that Omicron has symptoms similar to a common cold, the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday warned that it is not a common cold and should not be taken lightly.
The four most common symptoms of the Omicron variant are cough, fatigue, congestion and runny nose, according to a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis. A recent study by UK-based Zoe Covid app added nausea and loss of appetite to the category. Several studies from South Africa, the US and the UK have shown that the infections caused by the highly transmissible variant are generally mild, with less hospitalisation required.
"Omicron is not the common cold," WHO epidemiologist Dr Maria Van Kerkhove said in a tweet.
"While some reports show a reduced risk of hospitalisation of Omicron compared to Delta, there are still far too many people infected, in hospital sick and dying from Omicron (and Delta)," she added.
"Omicron is not the common cold! Health systems can get overwhelmed," reiterated WHO's chief scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan on Twitter.
It is "important to have systems to test, advise and monitor large numbers of patients as the surge can be sudden and huge," she warned. Kerkhove also stated that "we can prevent infections, save lives now" by ensuring vaccine equity.
WHO on Tuesday also stated that emerging evidence reveals that the Omicron is affecting the upper respiratory tract, causing milder symptoms than previous variants.
"We are seeing more and more studies pointing out that Omicron is infecting the upper part of the body. Unlike the other ones, that could cause severe pneumonia," WHO Incident Manager Abdi Mahamud told Geneva-based journalists.
At the same time, the global health body warned that soaring infections due to Omicron across the world could lead to the emergence of new variants, media reports said. The more variant spreads, the more it can replicate and bring out a new variant that can be more lethal.
IHU Variant on radar, not a threat so far
France had detected a new variant, named IHU. The new variant, with 46 mutations, has already infected 12 people, both vaccinated and unvaccinated. Researchers said, "it is too early to speculate on virological, epidemiological or clinical features of this IHU variant based on (just) 12 cases".
New coronavirus variants are detected every week. Most of them pop up and then quickly disappear, others persist quietly but never become widespread, and just a few rise to the ranks of "Variants of Concern," as designated by the World Health Organization.
So, it's unusual that a variant tentatively identified in France more than a month ago, which failed to spread beyond a small initial cluster of cases, should be seizing so many headlines this week.
Cases Worldwide
Australia
Fuelled by the highly transmissible Omicron variant, Australia's daily coronavirus infections soared to a fresh peak on Thursday, overwhelming hospitals, while isolation rules caused labour shortages, putting a strain on businesses and supply chains.
With Thursday's count still incomplete, Australia so far has reported 72,392 new infections easily exceeding the high of 64,774 set a day earlier. Western Australia is due to post its new cases later.
Europe
France, on Wednesday, registered a record of more than 332,000 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, and a further 246 COVID deaths in hospitals, as the country.
Italy has registered more than 138,000 coronavirus deaths since its outbreak emerged in February 2020, the second highest toll in Europe after Britain. On Wednesday the country made COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for people from the age of 50, one of very few European countries to take a similar step, in an attempt to ease pressure on its health service and reduce fatalities.
In Sweden, infections reached 17,320 on Tuesday, said Britta Bjorkholm, head of the health agency's department for disease control.
In UK, attempts to deal with record waiting lists for hospital treatment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are at risk of being derailed by a staffing crisis, which is being exacerbated by the Omicron wave, a lawmaker report said on Thursday. More than 220,000 COVID-19 cases were recorded on one day in the last week, and the provision of services and testing capacity is increasingly under strain.
US
In US, the rolling seven-day average number of new COVID-19 cases in the United States hit 540,000, a new high for an eighth consecutive day on Tuesday. Hospitalizations of COVID patients have risen 45% in the past seven days and stand at over 111,000, a figure not seen since January 2021. The CDC said in a statement it now recommended that adolescents age 12 to 17 years old should receive a booster shot 5 months after their initial Pfizer/BioNTech vaccination series.
India
Indian megacities Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata are experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases, although without a corresponding rise in hospitalisations, but fears are growing about a spread to rural areas in coming days.
India reported 90,928 new daily COVID-19 cases on Thursday, up nearly four-fold since the start of the year, mostly from cities where health officials say the Omicron variant has overtaken Delta. The bulk of those infected have shown no or only mild symptoms and have recovered quickly at home, officials said.
Asia Pacific
Thailand on Thursday raised its COVID-19 alert level following rising infections driven by the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, a senior health official said.
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Wednesday the government will introduce a series of new measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, as she warned the global financial hub was on the verge of another outbreak.
More cities in central China resorted to tough curbs as new coronavirus infections in Henan province rose sharply, with authorities taking urgent action to contain clusters ahead of the Winter Olympics and Lunar New Year peak travel season.
With inputs from CBS, BI, Reuters