As suspected: Omicron replicates much faster than Delta: which has implications for both severity and transmissibility. This also could explain the shortened incubation period: 
We have the classic more infectious, less severe dogma again here...why?
The authors of the study found that virus grows 10x slower in the lungs: this is taken as an indication of being less severe: why assume that? we have reports of people showing up later than normal to hospital from South Africa: could this be why?
They then go on to say that severity is in large to due with the immune systems response: ie cytokine storm, which is often called the 'inflammatory phase; of the virus: illustrated here:
**this chart refers to wild type** incubation has shortened since.
**this chart refers to wild type** incubation has shortened since.
The inflammatory phase typically starts on day 7-8 onwards. We have reports from SA of hospitalisations occurring 14-21 days after diagnosis, indicating perhaps that the slower replication in the lungs just means the inflammatory phase happens later.
The inflammatory phase is also related to the Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) disease which follows Covid infection about 4-5 weeks normally.
Which is a truly horrific disease in itself: and can be life threatening:
childrenshospital.org/conditions-and…
Which is a truly horrific disease in itself: and can be life threatening:
childrenshospital.org/conditions-and…
Delta showed a similar pattern of replicating more slowly in the lungs yet turned out to be more severe: as noted here:
6 year old girl with MIS-C:s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/tar…
What is know about Omicron so far is bad enough: evades immunity, very high levels of reinfection, causes much more severe disease in children and young people especially those without underlying conditions according to the SA Omicron data.
https://twitter.com/EnemyInAState/status/1469670337512148995
The arguments over less severe or more severe are really quite meaningless all in all. What is currently known is bad enough. Looking at SA Omicron situation show rapidly increasing cases and hospitalisations: including the preparation of surge capacity: for kids.
Omicron is not the first vaccine/immunity evading variant to cause much more severe disease in kids: Beta, which was largely responsible for SAs 2nd wave had many of the same mutations...
https://twitter.com/EnemyInAState/status/1471203246832246801
And if we are to compare any variant to Omicron, then Beta is the most suitable (in kids at least), and Omicron has already shown to be much more severe in kids & young people in the first 3 weeks of the wave vs Beta:
Are children with Omicron having Acute Respiratory Distress as a result of infection? What is putting the kids in hospital and young people, so much more so than previous waves?
What is the result of having a virus that replicates 70x Faster in the upper airways? in the tiny bronchial tubes of children and babies??
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
