4 ms·

The parent comment's point about increased infections still stands. Omicron might be less dangerous to the individual but its a disaster at the population level

The parent comment's point about increased infections still stands. Omicron might be less dangerous to the individual but its a disaster at the population level because many more infections mean many more hospitalisations even if more mild.

CryptoPunk 5y ago
If it's milder, it can cause fewer hospitalizations while infecting a larger proportion of the population. It depends on how much milder, and how much more transmissive.
- ImaCake 5y ago
  It would need to be less serious than the flu to not be a complete disaster - Omicron COVID spreads multiple times more efficiently than any strain of the flu does.
zpeti 5y ago
Many western countries you've had 10-20-30% of the population actually diagnosed with covid in the past. 60-70% vaccination rate. That leaves only 10-20% of the population at risk of severe covid if vaccination and previous infection mean milder illness potentially. Add to this that SA with 25% vaccination is seeing less hospitalisations. Omicron in most western countries doesn't have many people left to infect. Those that do will see milder illness. I don't see how this will threaten healthcare systems any more.
- lm28469 5y ago
  > Omicron in most western countries doesn't have many people left to infect. Those that do will see milder illness. And here we are with hospitals being overwhelmed in Germany and France, for example, despite high level of vaccination and a lot of people who already had the virus previously. In France we have more people going to the ICU per day than during the last peak, and at the current rate we'll reach, and probably pass, the previous two peaks soon All it takes is a few thousands of 50+ years old unvaccinated people to use all the ICU beds. In France we have 2m+ people over 50 who didn't even get the first dose, 1% of these 2m people would be enough to use every single ICU beds in the country

CryptoPunk 5y ago

If it's milder, it can cause fewer hospitalizations while infecting a larger proportion of the population. It depends on how much milder, and how much more transmissive.

ImaCake 5y ago
It would need to be less serious than the flu to not be a complete disaster - Omicron COVID spreads multiple times more efficiently than any strain of the flu does.

zpeti 5y ago

Many western countries you've had 10-20-30% of the population actually diagnosed with covid in the past. 60-70% vaccination rate. That leaves only 10-20% of the population at risk of severe covid if vaccination and previous infection mean milder illness potentially. Add to this that SA with 25% vaccination is seeing less hospitalisations. Omicron in most western countries doesn't have many people left to infect. Those that do will see milder illness. I don't see how this will threaten healthcare systems any more.

lm28469 5y ago
> Omicron in most western countries doesn't have many people left to infect. Those that do will see milder illness. And here we are with hospitals being overwhelmed in Germany and France, for example, despite high level of vaccination and a lot of people who already had the virus previously. In France we have more people going to the ICU per day than during the last peak, and at the current rate we'll reach, and probably pass, the previous two peaks soon All it takes is a few thousands of 50+ years old unvaccinated people to use all the ICU beds. In France we have 2m+ people over 50 who didn't even get the first dose, 1% of these 2m people would be enough to use every single ICU beds in the country