First reported in South Africa, the new Covid-19 variant Omicron has scientists and doctors worried as they know nothing about it. Although the first reports are rather encouraging as it comes to the variant’s dangerous nature, its resistance to vaccines and contagiousness are an issue for authorities and health professionals who already consider the arrival of a sixth wave, as the fifth one is not even over.
In England – that reported their first Omicron-caused death – Boris Johnson says he fears a “tidal wave” of contaminations. In France, infectious disease specialist Odile Launay considers on France Inter the variant “will quickly take over” and “very probably arrive in January” in the country. Olivier Véran yet claimed the fifth wave peaked and reached a contamination plateau. France being slightly behind England or even Denmark – that just closed cultural venues – the French epidemiologists are thoroughly monitoring the situation.
They are sure “it will be the same thing in a few weeks”, Antine Fléhaut told France Info. As a matter of fact, contaminations with Omicron variant double every two days, instead of ten with Delta. The South African variant will soon be predominant in the country.
