The World Health Organization said on Wednesday that the Omicron variant has been reported in 57 nations. The number of patients requiring hospitalization may increase due to high transmissibility. In its weekly epidemiological report, it stated that more data was needed to study the severity of disease caused by the Omicron variant and whether its mutations would reduce protection from vaccine-derived immunity. 

The severity of the Omicron variant could be equal or lower than the Delta variant but, would increase hospitalizations if more people are getting infected resulting in a time lag between an increase in infection cases and an increase in the incidence of deaths.

Source: ET Healthworld