Thread by @danielgoyal

Thanks @jburnmurdoch for clear update.
Clinical concerns:
At an individual level we are still not clear on threat level.
At a societal level, the numbers are very worrying. And the government should be panicking.
The rate of hospital admission seems very high with #Omicron.
1/5

https://twitter.com/jburnmurdoch/status/1467270450111787012

A number of countries do not have the additional hospital capacity to manage yet another surge.
The US and UK (and others) are (IMV) in a very poor position to manage #Omicron.

In the UK and US the ongoing Covid-19 wave is TRIPLING the healthcare burden of 'normal' pneumonia.
Access to care for both Covid and Non-Covid diseases are already limited and this lack of capacity is causing death and disability.

[Table = 'extra deaths from any cause']

I fear the UK's and US's (and others') passive clinical approach to Covid-19 will be repeated with #Omicron. In the UK we still have less hospital capacity than before the pandemic, no triage, and no follow-up! Covid cases continue to present late and require prolonged stays.

The way to prevent death and reduce hospital stay (and stay open to all) is by intervening with moderate/severe Covid-19 early. This needs:
1. Triage of all suspected Covid-19 cases
2. Follow-up of all PCR confirmed or clinically confirmed cases
3. Capacity to treat early.

Summary,
Individual risk is unknown.
Societal risk is very high.
To prevent death, disability, and greater restrictions, we must slow #Omicron transmission AND use the time to rapidly expand basic healthcare services.

At current capacity levels: WE CANNOT TAKE A FURTHER SURGE!