Hospitals unlikely to be pushed to limits by Covid Omicron
Researchers from Switzerland and Germany say the Omicron variant of Covid is unlikely to push the healthcare systems to breaking point. Omicron is significantly more infectious but seemingly less severe than the Delta variant, the Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology said on Thursday. A team of experts modelled different scenarios for the coming months for Switzerland and neighbouring Germany, using three separate viral reproduction rates – 1.3, 1.5 and 1.8 as the worst-case scenario. “The Omicron variant is unlikely to cause record numbers of admissions to ICUs (...) even under unfavourable conditions,” a statement said. However, they warn that certain risks remain, notably staff shortages in hospitals and limited capacities in Covid diagnosis. The main findings appear to back up calls by the Swiss business community and right-wing and centrist political parties to ease restrictions, including the work-from-home rule and the use of the Covid health...