"Omicron May Be the First Step in Transitioning from COVID-19 to the Common Cold, UK Experts Suggest"

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[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Hopeful foreign media reports have emerged suggesting that the globally spreading Omicron variant could be a sign that COVID-19 is turning into a common cold. The reason is that it causes fewer severe cases compared to other variants.

On the 26th (local time), the British media outlet The Guardian forecasted the future trajectory of Omicron in an article titled "Omicron: Facing a Grim New Year or the End of the Pandemic?"

Dr. Julian Tang, a virus researcher at the University of Leicester, said, "The Omicron variant is the first stage of COVID-19 adapting to the human body by causing milder symptoms," adding, "In fact, the virus becoming less severe is also beneficial for the virus itself to spread more widely."

As of the 25th, the daily number of COVID-19 infections in the UK reached a record high of 122,000. Christmas festivities were largely canceled, and restaurants and pubs saw a drop in customers.

UK health authorities predict that COVID-19 cases will surge again next year, increasing the number of critically ill patients. However, The Guardian emphasized that compared to last year when the Alpha variant spread, although infections have increased significantly this year, hospitalizations and deaths have decreased markedly.

Omicron differs from other variants in that infections are concentrated among relatively young adults. Researchers worry that if Omicron begins to spread to older adults with weaker immunity, hospitalizations could rise sharply.

However, The Guardian stated, "On the other hand, many elderly people have had time to receive more vaccinations and have developed resistance to Omicron."

The article also introduced some positive scientific outlooks that COVID-19 will eventually weaken to the level of a common cold and lose its impact.

Professor Markin Hepbird of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine said, "COVID-19 is behaving more like a common cold than the flu," but added, "Since our immunity weakens and we catch colds every year, we will need to get COVID-19 vaccines annually due to immunity."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.