[BeauBo]

So far, the best guess for Omicron seems to be around 1/10th the hospitalization rate of Delta, but we probably won't know for several more weeks. Separately, reports out of South Africa indicated that the average time of COVID hospital stays during the Omicron wave were also substantially shorter (2-3 days) and involved less serious illness (ICU).

Omicron is expected to peak in mid-January in the USA, with daily case numbers higher than last Winter's wave, or the Delta wave. Case numbers may exceed testing capacity.

As this Indian analysis indicates, case numbers may not really be so important, as long as hospitals can meet the demand.

So far, so good.

[Paladin2]

What does the Hospital do for you that you can’t do at home?

[SoConPubbie]

So basically, the FLU!

[MAGAthon]

19 Dec: Hindustan Times: Why breathing difficulty is unlikely a symptom of Omicron variant, AIIMS doctor explains
Omicron variant is multiplying in the throat and not in the lungs and hence severe pneumonia is unlikely a symptom of Omicron variant
by Poulomi Ghosh; with agency inputs
With a sharp spike in the number of Omicron cases recorded in India in the last few days, the total tally of Omicron cases is nearing 150 even before a month of the variant first getting detected in India. The number also depends on the number of samples being sent for genome sequencing as health experts have pointed out that genome sequencing is not a diagnostic tool, it is a surveillance and pandemic assessment and tracking tool. “We can assure sufficient systematic sampling is being undertaken,” Niti Aayog (health) member Dr VK Paul said.

Symptoms of Covid infection by this variant also hold a key to better understand the variant as its symptoms are quite different from Covid infection triggered by Delta.

Explaining the difference, AIIMS’ Dr Punnet Musra, professor of community medicine, said it is natural that different variants will have different predominant symptoms. Omicron does not cause breathing trouble as unlike the previous variants, this variant is probably not multiplying in the lungs. Hence, its impact on the lungs is minimal. As cases from all across the world indicate that throat is somewhat getting affected, it is likely that the variant is multiplying in the throat. One is unlikely to get severe pneumonia by Omicron, the doctor said...
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/why-breathing-difficulty-is-unlikely-a-symptom-of-omicron-variant-aiims-doctor-explains-101639873292097.html

[traderrob6]

I read this morning that in South Africa the hospitalization rate for Omicron was 23x less than for the Delta variant and the disease has already peaked.

The length of time spent in the hospital for Omicron has dropped from and average of 8-10 days to 2-3.

[FlipWilson]

This variant is something different and people should all be afraid. I mean, people are getting sick in the winter and it is quite a new thing.

Oh, wait. Then there might be this perspective:

Omicron variant=a nasty cold= making sure the Covid power grab continues by labelling common illnesses as COVID-19.

A thought, isn’t a common cold a type of coronavirus? Wasn’t the whole thing that the Wuhan lab was guilty of conducting gain of function whereby a common cold was being jazzed up into a weapon? Or did Fauci lie about funding something else and I am mixing this up?