Top US scientist Anthony Fauci says that while it will take weeks to judge the severity of the new COVID-19 variant Omicron, early indications suggest it is not worse than prior strains, and possibly milder.
“It almost certainly is not more severe than Delta,” Fauci tells AFP in an interview. “There is some suggestion that it might even be less severe.”
“I think that’s going to take another couple of weeks at least in South Africa and then as we get more infections throughout the rest of the world, it might take longer to see what’s the level of severity.”
The new variant is “clearly highly transmissible,” very likely more so than Delta, the current dominant global strain, Fauci said.
Accumulating epidemiological data from around the world also indicates re-infections are higher with Omicron. (AFP)