the Omicron variant, less dangerous than the Delta variant, but more contagious

The Omicron variant is less dangerous than the Delta variant: the good news for early 2022 comes from the UK. According to a study by the British health agency, the risk of developing a severe form with Omicron is indeed three times lower than with the Delta variant. Hospital stays are also shorter, and patients generally have need less oxygen. Be careful, however, it is not harmless.

While Omicron is less dangerous than Delta, it is more transmissible. However, with more people infected, a certain number will end up in hospital, which will increase the pressure on services. “When you have a level of saturation already high by Delta, it is true that the slightest small increase has a huge impact on hospitalization and on resuscitation”, details Professor Gilles Pialoux, head of the infectious diseases department at Tenon hospital in Paris. Another reassuring element, the effectiveness of the booster dose against severe forms of Covid-19 is 88%. With three doses of the vaccine, we divide our risk of going to the hospital by ten.