The Times Australia
Mirvac Harbourside
The Times World News

.

How does Omicron compare with Delta? Here's what we know about infectiousness, symptoms, severity and vaccine protection

  • Written by Sanjaya Senanayake, Associate Professor of Medicine, Infectious Diseases Physician, Australian National University
How does Omicron compare with Delta? Here's what we know about infectiousness, symptoms, severity and vaccine protection

Since Omicron was detected in South Africa in late November[1], the SARS-CoV-2 variant has spread[2] to more than 165 countries and is now the dominant strain[3].

Omicron has more mutations than other strains: 72 in total[4], the most concerning of which make the virus more transmissible and better able[5] to evade the immune system and vaccines.

So how does Omicron differ to Delta in infectiousness, symptoms, severity and vaccine protection.

Read more: How new COVID-19 variants emerge: Natural selection and the evolution of SARS-CoV-2[6]

How contagious is it?

The basic reproduction number (R0) is one gauge of the infectiousness of a virus. It tells you how many susceptible people a single infected person will themselves go on to infect.

Danish researchers estimate[7] the effective reproduction number of Omicron is 3.19 times more than that of Delta, which had an average R0 of 5[8] (ranging from 3.2 to 8).

Similarly, Japanese research concludes[9] Omicron is 4.2 times more transmissible than Delta early on.

So, in a fully susceptible (unvaccinated and uninfected) population, one person with Delta would, on average, infect five other people, while one person with Omicron could transmit the virus to about 20 others.

This makes Omicron one of the most infectious agents known.

Another practical indicator of a virus’s infectiousness is how easily it spreads within households. This is known as the secondary attack rate.

Studies[10] from various countries[11] have consistently shown[12] Omicron has a higher secondary attack rate in households[13] than Delta. In a household with Omicron, householders have a 14-50% chance of getting infected.

Why is Omicron more infectious?

Omicron’s varied mutations allow it to evade the immunity generated by both previous infections and vaccination.

Studies have also shown[14] Omicron infects and multiplies in the upper airways 70 times faster than Delta.

There also seems to be more asymptomatic infections[15] with Omicron. This probably facilitates transmission, as people don’t realise they’re infected and will move around normally.

How long does it take to become sick?

The incubation period of Omicron – the period from being infected to getting symptoms – is around three days[16], with the person often becoming infectious a day or two before symptoms emerge.

This is shorter than with Delta and earlier variants.

The average duration of illness[17] is shorter with Omicron than Delta: five days compared to six.

With new isolation rules implemented during the Omicron wave, seven days after testing positive[18] to COVID, those who are symptom-free will no longer have to isolate.

The Conversation
CC BY-ND[19] What are the symptoms? The five most common symptoms of Delta and Omicron[20] are: runny nose headache fatigue sneezing sore throat. Compared with Delta, Omicron is more likely to cause a sore throat[21] and less likely to be associated with the loss of taste or smell. The Conversation
CC BY-ND[22] In children, Omicron may be more likely to cause croup[23], which leads to a distinctive barking cough. Croup is associated with other viruses, but Omicron’s ability to infect the upper airways so efficiently may allow it to cause croup more than previous COVID variants. Read more: My child has croup. Could it be COVID? What do I need to know?[24] Is it less severe? Yes, Omicron causes less severe disease[25] than Delta. Part of this may be due to Omicron being less able to infect lungs as it does the upper airways. The risk of hospitalisation and ICU admissions[26] from Omicron are 40-80% lower than with Delta. The risk of death is about 60% less[27] with Omicron than with Delta. Yet despite the reduced severity, this wave of Omicron has been associated with higher rates of hospitalisations[28] in many countries because of the sheer numbers of those infected. The only silver lining has been how the Omicron wave peaked within a few weeks[29] in numerous countries, with hospitalisation and daily case numbers quickly coming down. Can you be reinfected with COVID? Yes, people who have previously had COVID from earlier variants are at risk of getting infected with Omicron[30], particularly in regions with low vaccination rates. Analysis of 116,683 cases early in the UK’s Omicron wave found[31] 9.5% of Omicron cases were reinfections. It’s too early to know the risk of a person previously infected with Omicron getting Omicron again. Read more: Why don't most people with COVID need to test for another 30 days, even if they're re-exposed?[32] How effective are two doses of vaccine? After 20 weeks, two doses of either mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna), reduced the risk of infection with Omicron by only around 10%[33]. By the same point in time, two doses of AstraZeneca essentially provide no protection against infection with Omicron. However, two doses of vaccine still prevent severe disease, with a vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation of up to 35% six months later. This is less than half as effective[34] as the protection offered against hospitalisation with Delta. How effective are three doses of vaccine? A booster dose of vaccine improves your protection against Omicron. Vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation[35] is 83% ten or more weeks after the booster. Protection against symptomatic disease increases too. Vaccine effectiveness[36] is 65-75% two to four weeks after the booster, reducing to 45-50% ten weeks after the booster. Pfizer and Moderna have also developed an Omicron-specific vaccine[37] which they are about to test in clinical trials and could be available in the second half of 2022. Read more: What's the difference in protection against Omicron between 2 doses and 3 doses of vaccine?[38] References^ detected in South Africa in late November (www.who.int)^ spread (www.nytimes.com)^ dominant strain (covid.cdc.gov)^ 72 in total (covariants.org)^ better able (asm.org)^ How new COVID-19 variants emerge: Natural selection and the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 (theconversation.com)^ estimate (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)^ R0 of 5 (academic.oup.com)^ concludes (www.bloomberg.com)^ Studies (www.medrxiv.org)^ various countries (wwwnc.cdc.gov)^ shown (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)^ households (wwwnc.cdc.gov)^ Studies have also shown (www.med.hku.hk)^ more asymptomatic infections (www.thelancet.com)^ around three days (www.ecdc.europa.eu)^ duration of illness (dash.harvard.edu)^ testing positive (www.healthdirect.gov.au)^ CC BY-ND (creativecommons.org)^ Delta and Omicron (joinzoe.com)^ more likely to cause a sore throat (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)^ CC BY-ND (creativecommons.org)^ may be more likely to cause croup (www.nbcnews.com)^ My child has croup. Could it be COVID? What do I need to know? (theconversation.com)^ less severe disease (www.med.hku.hk)^ hospitalisation and ICU admissions (assets.researchsquare.com)^ about 60% less (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)^ higher rates of hospitalisations (ourworldindata.org)^ peaked within a few weeks (ourworldindata.org)^ at risk of getting infected with Omicron (www.medrxiv.org)^ found (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)^ Why don't most people with COVID need to test for another 30 days, even if they're re-exposed? (theconversation.com)^ around 10% (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)^ half as effective (www.cnbc.com)^ Vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)^ Vaccine effectiveness (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)^ developed an Omicron-specific vaccine (newatlas.com)^ What's the difference in protection against Omicron between 2 doses and 3 doses of vaccine? (theconversation.com)

Read more https://theconversation.com/how-does-omicron-compare-with-delta-heres-what-we-know-about-infectiousness-symptoms-severity-and-vaccine-protection-172963

Mirvac Harbourside

Times Magazine

YepAI Joins Victoria's AI Trade Mission to Singapore for Big Data & AI World Asia 2025

YepAI, a Melbourne-based leader in enterprise artificial intelligence solutions, announced today...

Building a Strong Online Presence with Katoomba Web Design

Katoomba web design is more than just creating a website that looks good—it’s about building an onli...

September Sunset Polo

International Polo Tour To Bridge Historic Sport, Life-Changing Philanthropy, and Breath-Taking Beau...

5 Ways Microsoft Fabric Simplifies Your Data Analytics Workflow

In today's data-driven world, businesses are constantly seeking ways to streamline their data anal...

7 Questions to Ask Before You Sign IT Support Companies in Sydney

Choosing an IT partner can feel like buying an insurance policy you hope you never need. The right c...

Choosing the Right Legal Aid Lawyer in Sutherland Shire: Key Considerations

Legal aid services play an essential role in ensuring access to justice for all. For people in t...

The Times Features

Macquarie Bank Democratises Agentic AI, Scaling Customer Innovation with Gemini Enterprise

Macquarie’s Banking and Financial Services group (Macquarie Bank), in collaboration with Google ...

Do kids really need vitamin supplements?

Walk down the health aisle of any supermarket and you’ll see shelves lined with brightly packa...

Why is it so shameful to have missing or damaged teeth?

When your teeth and gums are in good condition, you might not even notice their impact on your...

Australian travellers at risk of ATM fee rip-offs according to new data from Wise

Wise, the global technology company building the smartest way to spend and manage money internat...

Does ‘fasted’ cardio help you lose weight? Here’s the science

Every few years, the concept of fasted exercise training pops up all over social media. Faste...

How Music and Culture Are Shaping Family Road Trips in Australia

School holiday season is here, and Aussies aren’t just hitting the road - they’re following the musi...

The Role of Spinal Physiotherapy in Recovery and Long-Term Wellbeing

Back pain and spinal conditions are among the most common reasons people seek medical support, oft...

Italian Lamb Ragu Recipe: The Best Ragù di Agnello for Pasta

Ciao! It’s Friday night, and the weekend is calling for a little Italian magic. What’s better than t...

It’s OK to use paracetamol in pregnancy. Here’s what the science says about the link with autism

United States President Donald Trump has urged pregnant women[1] to avoid paracetamol except in ...