Britain stated on Monday that the Omicron strain of coronavirus was spreading at a “phenomenal rate” and accounted for roughly 40% of all illnesses in London, and that people who have been double-jabbed should obtain an additional dose of the vaccination.
Since the first cases of the Omicron type were discovered in the United Kingdom on November 27, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has imposed stricter restrictions and warned the country on Sunday that a “tidal wave” of Omicron was on its way.
By the end of the month, Britain estimates that a million people will have been infected with Omicron, which scientists claim can still infect those who have been double-vaccinated. “What we now know about Omicron is that it’s spreading at an incredible rate, something we’ve never seen before, with infection rates doubling every two to three days,” Health Secretary Sajid Javid told Sky News.
“That means we’re dealing with a tidal wave of infection, and we’re again in a race against the virus.” The pound dropped 0.4 percent to $1.3225, while the euro remained stable at 85.29 pence. Johnson, who is dealing with a split in his party on Omicron control measures and a backlash over suspected Downing Street parties during last year’s lockdowns, said people should receive booster shots as soon as possible to safeguard “our liberties and way of life.”
The new coronavirus, originally discovered in China in late 2019, has killed 5.3 million people worldwide, wiped away trillions of dollars in economic production, and turned people’s lives upside down. Data released on Friday indicated that two doses of the vaccine were ineffective against Omicron in preventing symptomatic infection, while a third dose increased protection to almost 70%.
Despite the fact that no deaths have been recorded in England and only ten people have been hospitalized with the variety, Javid believes Omicron is responsible for about 40% of infections in the capital. While the symptoms of the variation may be lesser, he believes that unless the government intervenes, the health system will be overwhelmed.
“Even if a virus is mild, a small percentage of a huge number of patients might nevertheless equal a large number of hospitalizations,” Javid explained. “Two doses are insufficient,” he said, “but three doses provide excellent protection against symptomatic infection.”