Is Omicron Like a Common Cold? ... "Severity and Fatality Rates in Korea Cannot Be Confirmed Yet"

The COVID-19 Omicron variant virus photographed by 'Vector,' the Russian State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] Regarding some reports that the Omicron COVID-19 variant has lower severity and fatality rates than the Delta variant, and claims that "Omicron is nothing more than a cold," health authorities and infectious disease experts have cautiously stated that it is premature to conclude the domestic risk at this time.

According to health authorities on the 8th, the Omicron variant is likely to become the dominant strain in South Korea by February. The Omicron variant is known to spread 2 to 3 times faster than the Delta variant, but its severe case rate is about one-third that of Delta.

However, there are calls for more research on how the risk of the Omicron variant will manifest domestically, rather than overseas.

Hard to Conclude Domestic Impact Based on Overseas Studies

Professor Kim Namjoong, Department of Internal Medicine at Seoul National University College of Medicine and Chairman of the Korean Society of Infectious Diseases, pointed out at the 'Omicron Outbreak Outlook and Future Tasks Discussion' held the day before that Korea differs from other countries in terms of previous infection rates that can confer natural immunity to COVID-19, vaccination rates, and medical environments such as hospital bed structures. Since variations can occur, additional consideration of these variables is necessary.

Son Youngrae, Head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH), also said on the 5th, "The severity rate of Omicron has not yet been definitively established worldwide." "So far, there are trends of very rapid spread in various countries, and because these patients convert to severe cases or deaths with a time lag, it is difficult to analyze the ultimate fatality rate, that is, the severity and fatality rates."

Son added, "South Africa experienced an early outbreak, so the current severity rate data comes from there, but the South African outbreak is characterized by a unique spread mainly among younger populations," and "Countries worldwide are currently uncertain whether the fatality and severity rates from South Africa can be applied globally."

"Omicron Overwhelms Global Health Systems"

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) also warned against excessive optimism. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a virtual press briefing on the 6th (local time), "The Omicron variant is causing hospitalizations and deaths like previous variants," and "The tsunami of confirmed cases is very large and fast, overwhelming health systems worldwide." Although Omicron appears to cause less severe symptoms than the Delta variant, it should not be dismissed as mild.

Professor Kim Tak of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital recently explained, "Considering the situations in other countries, it would not be an overestimate to expect daily confirmed cases to exceed 20,000 to 30,000 during Omicron spread," adding, "Even if the fatality rate decreases, a surge in case numbers will burden the healthcare system and inevitably impose socioeconomic burdens. In this sense, the daily number of confirmed cases remains an important management indicator."

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