Graphic detail | Mixed signals
Early data on Omicron show surging cases but milder symptoms
The variant’s capacity for reinfection appears unprecedented
T WO WEEKS after the Omicron variant was identified, hospitals are bracing for a covid-19 tsunami. In South Africa, where it has displaced Delta, cases are rising faster than in earlier waves. Each person with Omicron may infect 3-3.5 others. Delta’s most recent rate in the country was 0.8.
This article appeared in the Graphic detail section of the print edition under the headline “Mixed signals”
Graphic detail December 11th 2021
From the December 11th 2021 edition
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