Hello. Samantha Lock here as we continue to go through all the latest Covid developments from across the world.
If you’ve just joined us it’s been a particularly fast-moving past 24 hours as researchers rush to understand the severity of Omicron and nations reimpose Covid curbs.
Let’s start with some promising news that the Omicron variant – which has so far been detected in 106 countries – may be less severe than other coronavirus strains such as Delta.
The latest data suggest Omicron does not cause more severe illness than previous variants, but soaring infection numbers could still cause more deaths.
An Imperial College study analysed hospitalisations and vaccine records among both Omicron and Delta Covid cases in England between 1 and 14 December.
Researchers found the Omicron variant appears to be milder, with a 20%-25% reduced chance of a hospital visit and at least a 40% lower risk of being admitted overnight.
A separate, preliminary analysis of Omicron cases in Scotland pointed to an even greater reduction in the risk of hospitalisation compared with Delta. Scientists on the Eave II study, using hospital data from 23 November to 19 December, concluded that the risk of hospitalisation may be 70% lower with Omicron than Delta.
While Omicron takes hold across Europe, parts of Asia are still battling the Delta variant.
South Korea set a new record for Covid deaths on Thursday, reporting another 6,919 new coronavirus cases and 109 related deaths in the past 24 hours, according to data released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
A record number of 1,083 people were also admitted to hospital with serious symptoms and in critical condition.
The Asian nation is struggling to contain a surge in Covid-19 cases that is placing intense pressure on medical services, reportedly prompting the prime minister, Kim Boo-kyum, to commit to securing an additional 10,000 hospital beds for patients with moderate to serious symptoms by the middle of next month.
