The evidence for Omicron's potential to wreak havoc has mounted at a rapid pace. The message from the studies is loud and clear: the scientific case for more restrictions is overwhelming. Without swift and hard action, the hospital faces a battering.
The first red flag came in late November when scientists in southern Africa shared their early Omicron genomes. Tom Peacock, a virologist at Imperial College London, highlighted the "awful" mutations that marked it out as a fast-spreading, vaccine-dodging variant. The chief medical adviser to the UK Health Security Agency conceded that she was filled with gloom when she received a text about Peacock.
The research was done around the clock to nail down the extent of the threat. Dr Alex Sigal was the first one to report. His team confirmed that the Pfizer shot was less effective against Omicron than the original Covid-19 virus. Omicron spread like wildfire, doubling every two to three days, after other data from South Africa and around the world. Prof Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, said that there are several things we don't know, but all the things that we do know are bad.
