Three separate teams of scientists on two continents have found that omicron infections more often result in mild illness than earlier variants of the coronavirus, offering hope that the current surge may not be quite as catastrophic as feared despite skyrocketing caseloads.
The researchers examined omicron’s course through populations in South Africa, Scotland and England. The results in each setting, while preliminary, all suggested that people infected with the variant were less likely to be hospitalized.
Since the discovery of the omicron variant in southern Africa in November, scientists have struggled to learn whether it causes more severe illness compared with other variants — and if so, in whom.
The new research suggests that the variant may have biological features that make it somewhat less dangerous than delta, the variant that dominated the world from summer till now.
But omicron’s lowered risk of hospitalization in all three countries also appears to be due in large part to immunity in those populations. Many of the infected already had protection against severe disease, either because of previous infections or vaccinations.
While the new research is heartening, experts warn that the surge coming to many countries still may flood hospitals with omicron cases, simply because the variant spreads so much more easily than previous versions of the coronavirus.
Christina Ramirez, a biostatistician at the University of California, Los Angeles, said Americans should take rapid tests before holiday events and should gather outside, open windows or find other ways to improve ventilation.
Omicron is spreading faster than any variant yet. It is the dominant variant in the United States, Europe and many other regions of the world. Yet encouraging news came from South Africa on Wednesday, suggesting these surges may not last as long as previous ones.
As infections in the United States rose to 154,000 daily cases on average over the past week, the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday authorized the first pill to treat COVID-19, offering a highly effective treatment against severe illness.
The drug, developed by Pfizer and known as Paxlovid, is authorized for COVID patients ages 12 and older who are at risk of becoming severely ill. Pfizer has reported that its pills are likely to work against the omicron variant.
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