29 Nov: Daily Mail UK: Omicron cases in Australia grow to FIVE after two more are confirmed in Sydney - but all are vaccinated and asymptomatic in hotel quarantine
Two new cases of Omicron have been confirmed in overseas travellers in Sydney
Both people arrived in Sydney on a flight from southern Africa on Sunday night
The infections bring Australia’s cases of the South African Covid strain to five
Two other travellers have tested positive in Sydney as well as a man in the NT
By TITA SMITH and CHARLIE MOORE, POLITICAL REPORTER FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA and AAP
Early indications suggest the new Omicron variant may spread faster but is not as severe, with patients in South Africa only suffering mild illness.
This has led to speculation that it could replace Delta as the dominant strain and potentially provide those it infects with an immunity boost ahead of any more severe strains in the future.
During a press conference on Monday Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly was asked: ‘What’s your view of the idea that a mild version of Covid that spreads rapidly could contribute to immunity, top-up people’s ability to stave off maybe more severe versions of the virus?’
Professor Kelly replied: ‘I think this morning in my media interviews I said that would be my number one Christmas present. And it would be, if that was how it ended up.’
Giving hope that Australians will be able to enjoy Christmas without the threat of further restrictions, he said: ‘That would be certainly a very interesting change and a positive one.’...
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10253345/Covid-Australia-Omicron-cases-grow-FIVE-two-confirmed-Sydney.html
29 Nov: MSN: ‘If it’s mild, you actually want it to spread’: Coatsworth on Omicron
by 9News Australia staff
Nick Coatsworth, a former federal deputy chief health officer, told Today the new variant could even displace the current dominant Delta variant.
“If this is milder than Delta, you actually want it to spread within your community,” he said.
“You want it to out compete Delta and become the pro-dominant circulating virus ... it could be that we want Omicron to spread around the world as quickly as possible.”...
The comment comes after Chair of the South African Medical Association, Dr Angelique Coetzee, said most patients she’s seen are presenting will non-severe, asymptotic illness...
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/if-its-mild-you-actually-want-it-to-spread-coatsworth-on-omicron/ar-AARelqP?ocid=uxbndlbing
I have been thinking the same thing. I pray that God intervened and provided an actually effective vaccine. If the R0 numbers I have seen are accurate this thing spreads orders of magnitude faster than the other Covid variants, and if it is mild as has been claimed it is God’s hand.