Symptoms stronger than expected?
New Omikron data makes you sit up and take notice - experts agree on what helps
Created: 01/18/2022 11:36 am
By: Yasina Hipp
Omicron is detected in laboratories.
© picture alliance/dpa/Uwe Anspach
The virus variant Omicron currently dominates the infection process.
Experts and scientists continue to try to assess the risk.
A study from Norway provides further insights.
Oslo – Virologist Alexander Kekulé also points to a new study from California on his Twitter channel, which shows that an infection with Omikron is significantly milder than an infection with Delta.
The results of the American study show, for example, that the probability of being admitted to the hospital with omicron
is about 52 percent lower than Delta.
The same applies to the probability of requiring intensive care treatment.
This reduces the risk by around 74 percent.
At first glance, that sounds like good news.
Omicron infection appears to be milder and less dangerous.
However, a small-scale study from Norway shows that the disease should still be taken seriously and the symptoms can be more severe than expected.
Omicron study from Norway
At this point it must be noted that the Norwegian study was not representative and was carried out with just 111 participants, with an average age of 38 years. At a Christmas party in Oslo, despite security measures and a high vaccination rate (96 percent with double vaccination), 111 of the 117 guests were infected with the corona virus. The Norwegian Ministry of Health (Norwegian Institute of Public Health) then analyzed the outbreak.
Of the 111 infected, omicrons were detected in 81 cases.
A large proportion (91 percent) of those infected with Omikron reported that symptoms had occurred despite two vaccinations.
Cough (83 percent), a stuffy nose (78 percent), tiredness (74 percent) and a sore throat (72 percent), headache (68 percent) and fever (54 percent) were the symptoms mentioned.
Omicron Study: Classification of Symptoms
The severity scale ranged from one (no symptoms) to five (severe symptoms).
42 percent of the 81 Omikron-infected gave a three.
Eleven percent, and thus every tenth, even a four.
None of the participants had to be hospitalized.
Experts and scientists now also agree that the third vaccination, the so-called booster, in particular protects against severe courses.
