German Expert: Omicron Variation Could Be Good News!

Professor Karl Lauterbach, a German epidemiology expert, said that the Omicron variant could be a "Christmas gift", which could accelerate the end of Covid-19 pandemic.

Source: News In 24

Lauterbach, who is running for Germany's next health minister, said on November 29^th that it could be a positive development if the new variant of Omicron causes milder disease.
He suggests that Omicron having a lot of mutations (up to 32 mutations in the spike protein, which is twice as many as the Delta variant) means that it could be optimized for infection but cause less serious disease.

Source: Gulf News

Professor Karl Lauterbach made the above comment when South African experts confirmed that Omicron causes milder symptoms than previous variants.

Evidence from South Africa

Medical experts in South Africa say Omicron causes milder symptoms than many previous variants, including headaches, muscle aches and fatigue, and there have been no reported hospitalizations or deaths.
Dr Angelique Coetzee, president of the South African Medical Association, said the 7 people she treated suffered from fatigue, mild muscle aches, itchy throats and dry coughs.

Source: News 24

She said infected people has well-recovered at home and got better within 2 to 3 days. None of them experienced a loss of taste or smell or a sudden drop in blood oxygen levels.
Most of the Omicron variant infections to date have been in young people. As a result, experts suggest that symptoms and their severity may vary as Omicron spreads to older groups with chronic illness.

Vaccine truly helps combat this variant

Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious disease specialist at the University of East Anglia, says Professor Karl Lauterbach's theory may be correct and suggests that vaccination helps fight the Omicron variant.

Source: Mirror

Similarly, Professor Abdool Karim, key adviser to the South African government during the 1^st wave of the pandemic, said he believes the vaccine will protect people against severe symptoms.
However, experts say they need at least 2 weeks to determine the impact of the Omicron variant. Scientists also need the same period to find out whether Omicron's worrisome mutations make it more infectious as well as more resistant to vaccine compared to the Delta variant.
According to the Daily Mail, scientists have long warned that the corona virus is unlikely to be eliminated; instead, it will turn into a virus that causes colds.

President Joe Biden voiced his perspective

US President Joe Biden urged his people not to panic over the Omicron variant, saying the government was preparing a contingency plan. He said at the White House on November 29^th: "This variant may cause concern but not panic. We will fight and defeat it."

Source: Boston Globe

President Biden affirmed that he would not re-impose blockade measures to deal with Omicron. Mr. Biden said that Omicron's infiltration of the US was inevitable.
Therefore, he urged the American people to get the Covid-19 vaccine and booster shots, as well as maintain mask-wearing.
Mr. Biden believes that current vaccines are still guaranteed to prevent serious complications, but US officials are also working with pharmaceutical corporations to make contingency plans.
Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that Americans do not need to change their travel schedule during the year-end holiday if they have been vaccinated and regularly wear masks.
H/T: Evening Standard