#Omicron is likely to have spread to nearly all countries by now. The larger fraction asymptomatic means that the massive surge in infections will lead to a smaller but sill unprecedented increase in reported cases. 1/
Hospitalizations will increase, and in some countries this increase will lead to higher levels of hospitalization than in previous surges, including the Delta wave and the Northern Hemisphere winter surge last year. 2/
Extremely high rates above 10% PCR positive of pre-admission screening in hospitals of individuals without #COVID19 symptoms in various parts of the US confirm the intense transmission in the community. 3/
Hospitals are likely to be under stress due to health care workers who have tested positive and need to quarantine. In many location, the reported ICU occupation and deaths could be still attributed to the end tail of the Delta variant. 4/
Some of the #covid19 reported deaths, especially among the elderly would be due to incidental #covid19. Although this would have been the case with previous variants, the high rate of infections with #Omicron will lead to a higher number of reported #covid19 deaths these days. 5/
Hence, it is possible that the reported #Omicron infection hospitalization rates and infection fatality rates maybe be over-estimated. 6/
Given the massive numbers of infections, testing and quarantining asymptomatic individuals may not be helpful. There appears to be no prospect for controlling transmission and considerable prospect for disruption of schools and essential services due to screening. 7/
Strategies need to focus on reducing harm in the vulnerable and minimizing health system, school, and economic disruption. 8/
In locations where testing capacity is limited, there is a need to prioritize testing to essential workers to ensure no disruption in key operations such as supply chain, food availability, hospitals and public health operations. 9/
For all practical purposes, the #Omicron wave should be over in the next 4 weeks. 10/
Looking beyond mid-February, we should expect #Omicron to continue circulating and potentially to return later in the year as immunity wanes. 11/
We should expect that new variants will emerge in 2022 and that #COVID19 will continue to be a recurring health problem. However, the notion of a pandemic requiring extraordinary intervention and behavioral change is likely over by early March. 12/
Strategies to manage #COVID19 as an endemic disease in the future should include active surveillance, scaled up production and access to effective anti-virals, vaccines and boosters, and mask use by the vulnerable if and when another wave occurs. end/
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