All indications indicate that Omicron’s symptom severity is lower than Delta’s.
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, by Lintar Satria Zulfikar, Puti Almas, Antara
The Omicron variant is indeed a threat worldwide. The good news however varian Omicron so far reported not to cause an increase in hospitalizations.
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) United States (US) Rochelle Walensky said the number of hospitalizations and deaths for Covid-19 was relatively low during the Omicron variant outbreak. Cases of infection in the US but have broken records.
“In recent weeks Omicron has spread rapidly throughout the country and we expect it to continue to spread in the coming weeks. While cases of infection have increased since last week, hospitalizations and deaths are currently relatively low,” Walensky said at a press conference on Thursday ( 30/12), quoted from Reuters.
Walensky said the average seven-day infection rate was up 60 percent from the previous week. This week, positive cases of the corona virus increased by 240,400 cases per day. Hospitalization rates in the same period rose 14 percent or about 9,000 per day and deaths by about 7 percent or 1,110 per day.
On Wednesday (29/12) yesterday, the daily Covid-19 infection cases in the US broke a record. US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said preliminary data showed Omicron hospitalizations were lower than for the Delta variant but that a booster vaccine was essential.
“All indications indicate that Omicron’s symptom severity is lower than that of Delta. A booster vaccine is essential for our optimal approach to Omicron,” he said.
Both Fauci and Walensky warned that the hospitalization and death data were likely to be two weeks behind the actual case data.
Fauci said a second booster vaccine may be needed. But it is impossible to know whether it is necessary or not without knowing the duration of protection given by the first booster vaccine for which there is currently no data.
“Before we talk about the fourth dose, it will be very important for us to know the duration of protection. Especially against severe symptoms in the third mRNA booster injection and the second J&J injection,” he said.
“At the moment we don’t have the information, it is conceivable in the future we may need additional injections but at the moment we hope we get a longer duration of protection from booster injections,” added Fauci.
In Indonesia, it is reported that the Sulianti Saroso Infectious Disease Hospital (RSPI) is currently treating patients suspected or confirmed to be infected with Omicron. Among the treated patients there were no symptoms of illness and mild symptoms. Among the patients infected with Omicron, there are also those who have received two injections of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Head of the Pinere Working Group RSPI Sulianti Suroso Pompini Agustina Sitompul explained that in general the symptoms experienced by patients infected with Omicron are not much different from those of Covid-19 patients who experience mild symptoms. Symptoms include anosmia (impaired sense of smell), nasal congestion, and coughing.
“Until now what has not been found is a picture of pneumonia. Hopefully it doesn’t get there,” he said.
Pompini said that the medical team pays special attention to Omicron-infected patients who have co-morbidities even though they do not experience symptoms of illness. Interventions carried out by the medical team on patients infected with Omicron include isolating patients in special rooms, providing multi-vitamins, providing psychological support, and conducting medical rehabilitation.
“What is unique at RSPI Sulianti Suroso is that we evacuate patients with a fast flow, without contamination by many health workers, and go straight to the patient isolation room,” he said.
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