Omicron could overwhelm NHS if it is as virulent as Delta, Neil Ferguson says

Exclusive: UK already experiencing ‘very explosive wave of infection’ from new variant, top scientist says

The Omicron variant has the potential to “very substantially overwhelm the NHS” and cause up to 10,000 hospitalisations a day if it is as virulent as Delta, according to a leading scientist who helped shape Britain’s coronavirus lockdown strategy.

Prof Neil Ferguson, a mathematical epidemiologist from Imperial College London, said the UK was already experiencing a “very explosive wave of infection” from the new variant. This could lead to “quite an explosive wave of hospitalisations,” depending on the severity of disease caused by Omicron.

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Coronavirus | The Guardian

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