Various Omicron Data Suggests Minimal Health Concern Overall
Robert Malone MD, MS, provides some updated global reporting on the Omicron variant that complements the initial reporting, starting with a report from Denmark:
Published in: Eurosurveillance Volume 26, Issue 50, 16/Dec/2021
♦ Denmark, as of December 9, 2021. Denmark has one of the highest RT-PCR testing capacities in the world and screens all positive RT-PCR tests with an Omicron-specific PCR – allowing screening for Omicron.
There have been 785 SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant cases identified in Denmark. The earliest Omicron cases in Denmark occurred before South Africa announced the emergence of this variant. Most cases were fully (76%) or booster-vaccinated (7.1%); 34 (4.3%) had a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. The majority of cases with available information reported symptoms (509/666; 76%) and most were infected in Denmark (588/644; 91%).
One in five cases cannot be linked to previous cases, indicating widespread community transmission.
Nine cases have been hospitalized, one required intensive care and no deaths have been registered.
Highlights:
· 1.2% of cases have been hospitalized
· 0.3% in intensive care
· 0% deaths.
· 76% were fully or booster vaccinated, 14% not vaccinated
· 4.3% had previous SARS-CoV-2 infection
· 91% have no travel history, 9% reported travel
[Dr Malone]: “this study is important because although there are studies and spokespeople from South Africa stating similar results, the Danish population in terms of age, body weight, life expectancy, etc. is more similar demographically to the US population. This Danish study suggests that Omicron will affect the American population similarly.”
♦ Covid-19: Runny nose, headache, and fatigue are commonest symptoms of omicron, early data show
Published in: BMJ 2021; 375 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n3103 (16 December 2021)
This College of London study shows that the top five symptoms reported for omicron infection are runny nose, headache, fatigue (either mild or severe), sneezing, and sore throat. This study is in line with what the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and European countries such as Spain and France had all updated their advice. The authors recommend that the National Health Service should also amend their advice on Omicron.
This study is important because it is more evidence that 1) symptoms are more mild and 2) more evidence that Omicron has evolved to infect the upper respiratory system more readily than the lower respiratory tissue (see my earlier substack article on this topic).
READ MORE HERE
A sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head and sore throat virus?
Call me crazy, but Omicron sounds like a common cold.
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