Never before in the pandemic have so many cases of infection been registered in Norway as this week. For a full four days in a row, new infection records were set.
Chief physician Preben Aavitsland at the National Institute of Public Health does not think we have reached the top.
– We are particularly concerned about admissions. Unfortunately, most indications are that the number will continue to increase in the weeks leading up to Christmas, says Aavitsland to TV 2.
On Sunday, 331 corona patients were admitted to Norwegian hospitals. It is new record.
– NOT REACHED THE TOP: FHI chief physician Preben Aavitsland does not think we have reached the peak of infection and hospitalization yet. Photo: Tor Erik Schrøder / NTB
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In Denmark, new omicron numbers have caused the alarm bells to ring. There, the authorities report an explosive increase in the number of omicron cases in the country, writes Danish TV 2.
The same will happen in Norway, says Aavitsland.
– Today there is an explosive spread of omicrons. The same thing that is happening in Denmark will happen in Norway in the coming weeks. It will provide a new, great challenge for the health service and society in general, he says to TV 2 and continues:
– Many more will be infected. When very many more are infected, there are also many more who need hospitalization.
Holds back report
While other countries have published their scenarios of what to expect with the omikron variant in the coming months, FHI is holding back its report.
The reason is that they believe the uncertainty is too great for it to be published, he wrote NRK Friday.
– TESTS: Covid-19 tests are analyzed at a laboratory in Paris. Photo: THOMAS SAMSON / AFP / NTB
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Aavitsland says they are still working on the report. He says they do not want to make models in the report that are not completely unlikely.
However, the superior says that they have a “significant concern” about the corona situation in Norway.
In an updated risk assessment on Tuesday, FHI said that the omicron variant could create a “significant disease burden” in December and January.
Many infected and sick by Christmas Eve
The risk assessment states that the omicron variant will become dominant by January 2022.
Aavitsland believes it will become dominant in “a few weeks”, both in Norway, Europe and in the rest of the world.
– It provides an extra, big challenge. It spreads much more and will be able to infect many more, and it cares less if you have been vaccinated, says Aavitsland.
– How will the spread of infection be compared with the delta variant?
– We expect omikron to spread more and faster than delta to spread. More will be infected. But many of us are vaccinated and protected from serious illness, even though we are not well protected from being infected.
– What will this look like when we get to Christmas Eve?
– It is difficult to say, but I am afraid there will be quite a few who are infected and ill, and that the number of hospitalized will be a good deal higher than today, says Aavitsland.
– PROBABLY NOT USEFUL: Even with a new virus variant, researchers believe that the vaccines the world’s population has taken protect against serious illness. Photo: CLODAGH KILCOYNE / Reuters / NTB
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– Helps little
According to doctors in South Africa, where the omicron infection has spread rapidly in recent weeks, the variant causes milder illness, fewer hospitalizations and deaths.
According to Pfizer and Biontech, their vaccine provides good protection against the omicron variant if a third dose is given. Three doses will provide as good protection against omicron as two doses provide against the delta variant, the companies announced on Wednesday.
Researchers believe that there is little risk that the vaccines we have today will be useless. At present, it seems that vaccinated people are becoming less seriously ill.
Nevertheless, the researchers believe it is important to test how quickly companies can turn around and produce a reformulated vaccine with a documented effect.
– Maybe the variant is a little milder for both those who are vaccinated and not. However, it helps little when so many more are infected, says Aavitsland in FHI and refers to the capacity in the health care system.
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