AP Explainer: What the spread of the omicron virus variant will mean for the world remains unclear. Here’s the latest on what’s known and what's still unknown about omicron.
“The vaccines are going to protect you against severe disease, hospitalization and death,” said Houston Methodist’s Long. “And that’s really the most important thing.”
In South Africa, where omicron already has spread widely, scientists reported a jump in reinfections that they hadn’t seen when two previous mutants, including delta, moved through the country. What scientists can’t measure is human behavior: Many places were relaxing restrictions, winter forced gatherings indoors and travel has jumped right as omicron began spreading.It’s still too early to know — especially given that if the vaccinated get a breakthrough infection, it should be milder than if omicron attacks the unvaccinated.
And that British study found no evidence that omicron has been milder than delta in Britain, even with young adults -- who would be expected to have milder illness -- having higher rates of infection with omicron.
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