‘Omicron may kill 25k to 75k in England if measures not taken’

The most pessimistic scenario foresees half a million people hospitalised with the virus by the end of April and said daily hospital admissions could be double the previous peak in January 2021.

UK health officials said Omicron is spreading much more quickly than the Delta strain and is likely to replace it and become the dominant variant in Britain within days. The UK recorded 58,194 cases on Friday, the highest number since January, though what portion were the Omicron variant is unclear.

Pedestrians wear protective masks amid the threat of the new Omicron variant. (AFP/Representative image)

Modelling released on Saturday by scientists at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine suggested Omicron is likely to cause a large wave of infections by January, and could cause between 25,000 and 75,000 deaths in England in the next five months if no other measures are taken.

The most pessimistic scenario foresees half a million people hospitalised with the virus by the end of April and said daily hospital admissions could be double the previous peak in January 2021. The study by the scientists, who help advise the British government, has not been peer reviewed.

French health authorities have approved the use of an anti-body treatment made by AstraZeneca for high-risk people who show resistance to vaccines against coronavirus.

The independent public health body HAS on Friday night announced “a greenlight for the preventive use of Evusheld... for patients with a very high-risk of contracting a severe form of Covid-19”.

Evusheld, developed by the British-Swedish pharma company, this week received emergency use authorisation in the US for adults and children aged 12 and above.

Taiwan has recorded its first case of the Omicron variant in a passenger who recently travelled to the southern African country of Eswatini.