‘The Omicron wave of the coronavirus pandemic is being driven by “young, healthy, vaccinated” people, according to the World Health Organisation.
Data from countries including the UK, Denmark and South Africa show a similar pattern of infection with the new variant, which has now been detected in more than 60 countries including Australia.
“Generally those first cases are in relatively young, relatively healthy and – in the context of Europe – in relatively highly vaccinated groups,” Dr Catherine Smallwood, a senior emergency officer at the World Health Organisation’s Europe office, told the UK’s Telegraph.
In Australia, NSW recorded a massive spike in cases on Tuesday as a cluster linked to a Newcastle nightclub – which requires proof of vaccination to enter – continues to grow.
More than 93 per cent of people aged over 16 in NSW are now fully vaccinated.
In Denmark, 70 per cent of its 3437 Omicron cases detected have been among people aged under 40, according to data published on Monday.
The European Centre for Disease Control found 72 per cent of early Omicron cases were under 40, while the US said the majority of its 43 infections so far were in the same age bracket and just under 80 per cent were fully vaccinated.
But despite evidence Omicron evades vaccines, experts have urged against panic in the face of what to date appears to be a milder strain of Covid-19.
“[Omicron] spreads more than Delta, but the consequences aren’t more than Delta,” ANU infectious diseases expert Peter Collignon told The Daily Telegraph.
“We should treat it the same as Delta. We have to be careful not to overreact.”
The WHO’s Dr Smallwood, however, said it was too soon to confirm whether Omicron triggered milder disease.
“It’s really important we don’t get ahead of ourselves in terms of judging the severity of Omicron,” she said.’https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/omicron-spread-by-young-healthy-vaccinated-people-experts-say/news-story/f840ce18390e9ed8b35185d51a658733
The governments in the west will continue to play this China Virus for as long as they can!