The newly-emerged Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that was first found in South Africa has already generated a lot of reactions, debates, and speculations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director Dr. Rochelle Walensky now brings the news that a lot of people were waiting for, but even so, there’s no use opening the champagne just yet. She says that the variant has mostly caused a mild illness over a group of people, according to OPB.org.
From roughly 40 individuals from the US who were found to be infected with the new Omicron variant of COVID, it turns out that almost all of them developed a mild form of the illness, according to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The reported symptoms were mainly cough, fatigue, and congestion. Only one person needed hospitalization, and nobody from the lot died. However, the majority of these people were vaccinated.
More data is needed
Despite the apparently exhilarating news, it’s obvious that data from just about 40 people cannot be conclusive enough. The CDC director also didn’t hesitate to admit it, and she added that the agency that she represents is already working on a more detailed assessment.
Walensky declared, as quoted by OPB.org:
What we generally know is the more mutations a variant has, the higher level you need your immunity to be. … We want to make sure we bolster everybody’s immunity. And that’s really what motivated the decision to expand our guidance.
On the other hand, another study on the new Omicron variant of COVID concerned some people. The strain can even partly bypass the coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer. But still, the researchers implicated in the study believe that getting vaccinated remains a good idea, especially when it comes to the booster dose.
