A leaked UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) report has confirmed that Omicron appears to be a more mild version of COVID-19 than the Delta variant, confirming earlier reports from South Africa, meaning those who fall sick with Omicron are less likely to become severely ill than those who caught the Delta variant.
The early real-world data, obtained by Politico, which is expected to be released before Christmas, found that Omicron is likely to bring on a mild illness with less serious symptoms in most people – probably in part due to the large number of vaccinated and previously infected people, and possibly because Omicron may be intrinsically milder.
However, while Omicron seems milder overall, the UKHSA has also confirmed that transmissibility of Omicron is very high, meaning that even though it is milder, infections could rocket to the point large numbers still end up in hospital. This increase coupled with NHS staff shortages due to the virus could still lead into further restrictions being introduced after Christmas.
The UK health agency refused to comment on the report prior to it being released.
