Does Omikron even bring advantages in the end?

Virologist speaks of "Walt Disney scenario"

Created: 12/18/2021, 07:47 AM

From: Felix Durach

Omikron could soon make up the majority of infections in Germany as well.

Despite all fears: It is a scenario that could also bring benefits.

Lausanne - The omicron variant of the coronavirus is on the advance in large parts of Europe and is thus causing the number of new infections to rise almost explosively in some countries.

The effect of the variant is particularly evident in Great Britain, which, according to initial findings, has a significantly higher infection rate than the delta variant that is currently dominant in large parts of Europe.

Around 40 percent of corona cases in the United Kingdom can now be traced back to the Omikron variant.

And that although the first cases of the variant were only discovered there a few weeks ago.

Corona: Omikron on the advance - soon to be dominant in Germany too?

Does the Omikron variant, after almost two years of pandemic, pose an even greater task for people around the world than the already challenging Delta variant? Virologists disagree on this, at least in detail. While almost all experts warn against the spread of Omicron due to the higher infection rate, the first findings about the mutation may also give reason for hope.

Because an infection with the omicron variant could, according to initial findings, lead to a milder course than with other mutations.

Omikron could be an advantage here, as the infection rate could result in a rapid infection of the population, which, however, would not overload the hospitals due to the largely milder course.

This could create a kind of herd immunity in the population.

A possibility that the virologist Didier Trono from EPFL in Lausanne also looked at.

Omikron is on the advance in Europe and could soon also become the dominant variant in Germany.

© Hauke-Christian Dittrich / dpa

Omikron: Virologist speaks of a possible "Walt Disney scenario"

"I call this the 'Walt Disney scenario'", Trono explains to

to the theory. “A nice story, something that makes you dream.” Final statements about this possibility cannot be made at the moment, however. The Omikron variant is still too new and not well studied for that. "The reality is: in the UK the number of cases only exploded a few days ago, and the numbers of hospitals and deaths are always two weeks to a month late so we have to wait before we can assess the danger," explains the virologist. However, if the first reports of milder disease progression on average turn out to be incorrect, the highly contagious mutation could pose major problems for healthcare systems. Then such an uncontrolled contamination of the population could push the hospitals to their limits.

Further studies would also have to show whether one is also protected against the wild type and the delta variant of the coronavirus after infection with the omicron variant.

Questions that will soon be answered.

Because Omikron is also on the advance in Switzerland and Germany.

Then one can see how the mutation will affect the frequency of severe courses and hospital admissions.

Corona: Omicron variant advantageous?

The necessary data is still missing

From South Africa, where the variant was first discovered, mainly mild courses after an infection are reported.

But here Trono warns against comparisons.

“The population there is much younger than in Switzerland, and young people are generally less ill than older people,” says the Swiss virologist.

In Germany, meanwhile, the 7-day incidence of new infections with the coronavirus continues to fall.

The advancing booster campaign is also being reinforced by so-called dead vaccines, which could receive approval from the European Medicines Agency in the coming year.