Omicron soars in Western Europe but serious cases low
Ramin Mazaheri
Press TV, Paris
France has broken the European record for corona infections, and nations across Western Europe are also reaching new daily highs, as the pandemic has entered a new but seemingly less-deadly phase. The apparent dual nature of the Omicron variant is inspiring fear in some and optimism in others.
France currently has over four million active cases of corona, but 99.9% of them are classified as mild. Daily deaths are half of what they were a year ago while shorter quarantines are being approved.
Cases are soaring in part because many more people are getting tested prior to holiday gatherings, but France’s hospital admissions are just a third of previous peaks.
It appears increasingly certain that the new Omicron variant may spread like wildfire but that it is significantly less lethal, causing many to have a cautious sense of relief.
The high transmission rate of Omicron does have some taking scientifically-questionable steps not seen since the early days of the pandemic.
Paris has just made face masks mandatory in all public places, even outdoors. Some nations which aren’t seeing an increase in cases have banned public holiday festivities anyway. France, Italy and other countries are debating making their health passes even more restrictive, which many say is an abuse of personal freedom.
France has been long-considered the most vaccine-skeptical nation in the world, but measures which amount to “either get vaccinated or be live in social isolation” has coerced 80 percent of the population into getting vaccinated.
One fact appears vital: in France the unvaccinated are far more likely to be in intensive care than those who have chosen to be inoculated.
What many are hoping for in 2022 is that Omicron truly does herald the end of the lethal phase of corona-19, which would render moot the controversies and uncertainties over how to best handle the long-running pandemic.
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