Omicron milder?

[HereticFanjo]

I saw a clip on Andrew Marr where a South African doc was saying Omicron so far is wide spread but a mild illness. No hospitalisations that she has seen. She did say in 2 weeks the picture might be different but I feel a bit more hopeful that Covid is evolving towards common cold. Or am I delusional?

Every variant we have had has been mild for majority of people though

@xxxGirlCrushxxx

Every variant we have had has been mild for majority of people though

Yes true. I just feel slightly encouraged that she seemed to think this one really is milder and a very different profile - more tiredness and a headache, a scratchy throat rather than a sore one. She did acknowledge that things may be different in a fortnight.

I don't think you are delusional, but I'm sure a lot of Mumsnetters will be along shortly to tell you that you are.

@HereticFanjo, I missed this.

Was the doctor talking about the effects of the Omicron variant in a largely vaccinated or largely unvaccinated population, do you know?

I really hope to god it's milder. I guess time will tell.

I hope you're right!

How is mild defined? Does it just mean not sick enough for hospital?

[quote SpangleWhorl]@HereticFanjo, I missed this.

Was the doctor talking about the effects of the Omicron variant in a largely vaccinated or largely unvaccinated population, do you know?

I really hope to god it's milder. I guess time will tell.[/quote]
I think the vaccine rates are quite low generally in SA. I think she said a lot of the patients she saw were early thirties tbf. Will be interesting to see how it affects older people but fingers crossed it's milder for them by a long way!

Vaccination rate in SA is about 24% so presumably likely that it’s mild in the unvaccinated as that’s a much higher percentage of the population.

@Splatling

How is mild defined? Does it just mean not sick enough for hospital?

No hospitalizations but really just mild symptoms. Bit achy, headache, not even heavy cold symptoms. The clip was in the BBC news app.

It made me feel a bit brighter - hopefully not misguidedly!

I think it’s just to early to say. I have read similar reports that included mention of a racing pulse which could be an issue in adult patients depending on what’s causing it.

Fingers crossed though, it really would be significant to be cut some slack in this pandemic.

largely unvaccinated population, do you know?

Largely unvaccinated. South Africans are not keen.

I'm doubly vaccinated but I know a lot of people who still felt pretty rotten with Covid in spite of vaccines, especially with Delta. So if I'm going to get covid I'm holding out for the mild version! 😁

If it turned out to be milder than Delta, and more transmissible than it, AND to provide cross-immunity (so you can’t get infected with both of them at the same time), then that would be good news, because Delta would be progressively replaced with a less dangerous disease.

But it will be a while before there is evidence either way. Until we know for sure, it makes sense IMO to take extra precautions.

@PuzzledObserver

If it turned out to be milder than Delta, and more transmissible than it, AND to provide cross-immunity (so you can’t get infected with both of them at the same time), then that would be good news, because Delta would be progressively replaced with a less dangerous disease.

But it will be a while before there is evidence either way. Until we know for sure, it makes sense IMO to take extra precautions.

Yes I was actually glad to have a relatively quick response. It was just encouraging to hear someone on the ground in the 'hot zone' who seemed pretty unphased. Like many people, my initial reaction was nooo not another one! Fingers crossed it's a turning point in a good way.

Yes I saw her and thought she was v measured!

Most of the African populations have avery strong inherent immune reaction to covid. Rather the opposite in Europe/asia. If it were mild then a fully vaccinated pop would be at no greater risk then currently.
Omicron's aggressiveness and potential to cause casualties has, as yet, not been tested or understood.

@Cornettoninja I had a racing pulse with what I assume was alpha (I had Covid last December) so I think that may be a standard Covid symptom. I did have a temperature briefly but that wasn’t the only time my pulse was higher.

The aim is to infect as many as possible, but it's a lot harder than it looks, of the disease is too deadly people die before they can infect others.

The most transmissible is one that gives mild symptoms so people are less aware they have it. Hopefully the fact that is very transmissible is mainly because it gives little symptoms and people aren't even aware that they're I'll.

I think you are right. But other doom merchants will be along to say

“I’m afraid you are totally wrong” or some other bollocks.

I like to remain positive. But the usual suspects will demand fear and doom.

Most of the African populations have avery strong inherent immune reaction to covid. Rather the opposite in Europe/asia.

Do you have a source for this?

We just don't know yet. It may well turn out to be very mild and nothing to worry about beyond the usual. At the moment it's too early to say, however. Better to be more cautious than to ignore it and pretend it's not happening.

No hospitalizations but really just mild symptoms. Bit achy, headache, not even heavy cold symptoms. The clip was in the BBC news app.
I saw the interview on Andrew Marr. What she said was she saw a lot of people who wouldn't normally be at the doctors suffering extreme fatigue and headaches. She said her patients were mostly young men and their symptoms were mild.
I think medically speaking "mild" means no need for hospital.

Nobody knows. It could be a younger population have had a spike and when older people are infected they’ll fall ill in the same way that they do with delta.

We’ll just have to wait for a bit for more data.

I’ve also heard of a separate doctor in South Africa saying he has lots of young people with it who are very ill or in intensive care.

On here it is assumed you will die