South African data suggesting Omicron causes less severe disease than previous variants is being misinterpreted by some experts, according to Professor Kingston Mills.

As of yesterday morning, nearly 1,800 Omicron cases had been reported in 57 countries across the world.

The European Centre for Disease Control said no severe cases or deaths had been reported among the 402 cases in the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA).

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that while Omicron appeared to be driving a surge in cases in Africa, there are “signs of hope” as hospitalisations across South Africa remain low.

On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Trinity Immunology Professor Kingston Mills said some of the South African data has been misinterpreted by some of the experts quoted in the media.

“People might not know this but in South Africa, up to 80% of the entire population has been infected already – not with Omicron but with other variants mainly Delta,” he said.

“So, you are talking about getting Omicron on the back of having previously been infected. You have got a level of natural immunity. So, one of the reasons you are getting a weaker disease in these individuals is because the immune response already generated is helping to clear the virus quicker than it normally would in a naïve person.”

Naïve

People are classed as being ‘naïve’ to the virus if they have never been infected or vaccinated.

“They are the most vulnerable so really, we have to wait and see what is going to happen to that population,” he said.

“That population is probably quite small now, but they may be the ones that really will suffer with this variant. We don’t know yet.”

Omicron

Late last night, the Government advised anyone travelling from Britain into Ireland to take daily antigen tests for five days.

Professor Mills said the measure is “useful” but will do little to stop Omicron becoming dominant in Ireland.

“I mean the antigen testing will pick up cases of Omicron and it is certainly worthwhile,” he said.

“I think keeping out the virus has always been a positive, but the trouble is we have already got cases and, in the UK, a lot of the cases are no longer associated with travel, they are community spread.

“We have only got six cases here, so we are still in a position to keep it out, but the problem is, it is going to be tricky with travel from the UK and Northern Ireland, so I think the travel measures are useful to have but it is going to be difficult even with travel measures, no matter how good they are, to stop the spread of Omicron in Ireland.”

Variant

The UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid has warned that the country will have around one million Omicron cases by the end of the year and Professor Mills said there is “no doubt that Omicron is going to take over in Europe next”.

“The estimates are it is doubling every two or three days so you could be looking in two, three or four weeks, it will be the dominant variant in the UK and it is only a matter of time before that happens across Europe,” he said.

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