The Omicron variant is likely to be the cause of a coronaviruses superspreader event at a 60-year-old's birthday party in the UK.
The head of the highly regarded ZOE COVID study in the UK says that some of the first people to use a new Omicron tracking feature in his COVID-logging app were at a party.
It's not possible to know for certain if everyone who got sick after the party had Omicron, but here's what we do know.
The party guests were all older adults.
Everyone was fully protected, and some were boosted as well.
Most used the UK's free, rapid, lateral flow tests before the party, but nothing came up positive.
They found out that a schoolmate of one of the partygoers' children had a "probable" Omicron case after the party. Within a few days, 15 of the 18 people who'd been at the party were also positive, and the parent tested positive as well.
It was two days after exposure to symptoms before Delta would behave like that, according to Spector. With Delta, there would be a longer delay between exposure and positive test, and wouldn't expect so many fully vaccined people to test positive after one exposure.
The UK says that Omicron is showing a growth advantage over Delta, and that the new variant is likely to out compete Delta in the UK.
It means that most of the people will get this. Even if you're double or triple vaxed, it's still not preventing infections.
In light of Omicron, Spector is canceling his holiday parties.
Tom Werner is pictured.
The good news is that early indications show Omicron isn't as dangerous as other versions of the virus.
Most people will think they had a cold.
Most cases were mild, like seasonal colds, with nausea, headaches, and sore throats. Two of the 15 people lost their sense of taste after taking off work for a few days. No one went to the hospital or sought care from a doctor. The story shows how well the vaccines work against severe COVID-19, even among vulnerable older adults who are more susceptible to bad outcomes.
The symptoms the partygoers had reflect what's been seen in the US and across Europe with Omicron. Mild infections have been reported, and less frequently include the characteristic loss of taste, smell, and fevers previously seen with coronaviruses. There are no deaths recorded yet.
Even though Omicron is taking off so quickly, it could still overwhelm hospitals as more people are exposed.
By the time people know they have it, they may have spread it.
He said in the video that it shows you how easy it is for one person to spread diseases at a party.
He's making some changes to his holiday schedule, and he thinks Omicron is a good argument for reducing gathering sizes.
He said that they had to cancel their Christmas parties at King's College and also at ZOE, which upset a lot of them.
Omicron is not a reason to be relaxed because you can pass it on to other people and still kill them.
