Three separate teams of scientists on two continents have found that omicron infections more often result in mild illness than earlier variants of the coronavirus, offering hope that the current surge may not be quite as catastrophic as feared despite skyrocketing caseloads
While there are subtle differences between the latest coronavirus strain and previous ones, so far the signs of infection look pretty similar. (Jon Han/The New York Times)
Three separate teams of scientists on two continents have found that omicron infections more often result in mild illness than earlier variants of the coronavirus, offering hope that the current surge may not be quite as catastrophic as feared despite skyrocketing caseloads.
The researchers examined omicron’s course through populations in South Africa, Scotland and England. The results in each setting, while preliminary, all suggested that people infected with the variant were less likely to be hospitalized.
©2019 New York Times News Service