The warning prompted Britain to launch 'Plan B' with Omicron 4
On December 5, the UK recorded 246 cases of infection with the Omicron variant, then increased to 437 on December 7.
Professor John Edmunds, an epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a member of the government’s scientific advisory group for emergencies (SAGE), warned that Omicron in the UK could spread rapidly.
While the current number of Omicron cases represents just a fraction of the UK’s average of 48,000 new infections a day, the UK government’s Health Security Agency warns that if this pace continues, `we will see at least
Edmunds agrees with that statement.
Passengers wear masks at a subway station in London, England on November 30.
The number of Omicron infections has increased exponentially in the UK, a country that has lifted almost all epidemic prevention measures, causing many people to worry.
The Omicron strain was first discovered in Botswana on November 11 and was reported by South Africa to the World Health Organization (WHO) on November 24.
Although there are still many unknown things about Omicron, British experts say the current developments are worrying.
With 70% of the UK population fully vaccinated and 32% having received a booster dose, the doubling of Omicron cases every two days is `truly remarkable`.
`I think we haven’t seen this kind of growth since March 2020, when the virus started spreading in the UK and none of us really knew anything about it,` he said.
Even if Omicron is less severe than preliminary studies from South Africa suggest, experts warn that if the number of cases increases exponentially and only a small fraction of them require hospitalization, the health system will still
Dr. Barrett said Omicron worried him more than previous strains.
Faced with the increase in infections and warnings from experts and advisors, the British government on December 8 decided to launch a `preemptive strike`, activating `Plan B` to respond to the epidemic.
After months of lockdown, Britain for the first time requires people to wear masks in public places and present vaccination certificates at some locations, while also calling for working from home if possible.
`No one wants to have to re-impose these measures. It’s very damaging to the economy, especially the hospitality and retail sectors. But unfortunately we have to do it,` said Edmunds.
The British government health adviser added that travel restrictions alone are not enough to solve the problem.
Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser to the UK Health Security Service, warned that `there is increasing evidence that Omicron is highly infectious and suggests it may reduce the effectiveness of vaccines`, citing
The British Health Security Agency on December 8 published data showing an increased risk of Omicron spreading in households, an important indicator of the extent of the mutation’s spread.
Experts worry that the British National Health Service (NHS) may be under a lot of pressure in the near future.
`We will likely face another wave, most likely caused by Omicron. I really sympathize with my colleagues who are struggling to work at medical facilities at this time,` he said.
A vaccination site in London, England earlier this week.
Some British hospitals are once again having to cancel strategic, elective care services to free up resources and focus on treating Covid-19 patients, according to Dr. Chaand Nagpaul, president of the British Medical Association.
`Even though the current number of hospitalizations for Covid-19 is much lower than last winter, we cannot be complacent and ignore the fact that the number of Omicron infections doubles every 2-3 days,` he said.
Experts say that the UK needs to have stronger measures than `Plan B`, especially when Christmas and New Year are near, to avoid the risk of super-spreader parties.
Professor Edmunds said it is necessary to give booster shots to people `as quickly as possible` because it will bring significant benefits in Omicron response efforts.
`We are certainly not out of the woods yet,` Edmunds warned.
