# The Omicron Variant

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-omicron-variant/955134>\
**Category:** The Quarantine Zone\
**Tags:** covid-quarantine\
**Created:** [November 29, 2021, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-omicron-variant/955134 "2021-11-29T13:54:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 119

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**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2021, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-omicron-variant/955134/119 "2021-12-19T07:16:44Z")

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Saying “we don’t have enough data yet” is not crying wolf.

> [@Coronavirus COVID-19 (2019-nCoV) Thread - 2021 Breaking News](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/3333):
>
> All current data tends to show that it’s less severe

Data are showing a smaller proportion of cases hospitalized. Nobody is disputing that. The issue is that it’s difficult to control for confounding variables. We don’t yet know if outcomes are looking better because Omicron is much less severe, or because most of the population (especially the most vulnerable) now has some degree of immunity from either vaccination or prior infection. Either would be good news, but the implications are different for different populations with different age profiles or immunity levels, and for individuals within those populations.

The other thing people are concerned about is _how much_ less severe it is. Even if it’s putting a smaller proportion of cases in hospital, it’s so much more infectious that it could still overwhelm hospitals.

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