Analysis: A lot hangs on the government's Plan B restrictions but many scientists fear the plan is full of holes that give the virus opportunities to go on spreading, putting hospitals under pressure
In recent weeks it has been accounting for around 50,000 cases a day, with the numbers rising and falling, but largely held in check by high vaccination rates.OmicronThe vaccine isn't as effective against this variant and it is also more likely to re-infect people who have had COVID before.
By Christmas, Prof Whitty expects the variant to account for the majority of COVID hospitalisations in the capital.He seemed pretty fed up with people jumping on South African data suggesting that Omicron causes milder disease. It's far too early to be sure, he said.Whitty: COVID records 'will be broken a lot'
Even if Omicron has half the hospitalisation rate, if cases more than double admissions would still rise.And early data suggests it gives 70% protection against infection with Omicron. Protection against serious disease is likely to be higher.
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