https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/chris-whitty-omicron-south-africa-delta-downing-street-b1976930.html?amp
The chief medical officer said even if the new variant is milder, its ability to spread faster means there could still be an issue.
He told Wednesday’s Downing Street press conference: “The first caution on this is simply a numerical one – if the rate of hospitalisation were to halve but you’re doubling every two days, in two days you’re back to where you were before you actually had the hospitalisation.
“If the peak of this is twice as great, then halving of the size of the hospitalisation rate, you still end up in the same place. And this peak is going very fast.”
He said it is also important to note that immunity in South Africa is “far higher” in the face of this wave, due to a prior Delta wave and the country’s vaccination programme, adding that that makes their lower hospitalisation rate so far “unsurprising”.
He stated that he remains concerned there will be a problem with Omicron, but the exact nature of it is currently unknown.
He said: “That doesn’t mean that there isn’t some degree of slightly milder disease, that is possible. But I just think there’s a danger people have over-interpreted this to say, ‘this is not a problem and what are we worrying about?’
“I want to be clear, I’m afraid this is going to be a problem. Exact proportions of it, of course, South African scientists and UK scientists and scientists globally are trying to determine at the moment.”