UK: Daily COVID cases soar to 1.85 lakh but death toll slumps - Is this Omicron effect? 

Fresh COVID-19 cases in the United Kingdom (UK) hit 1,89,213 on Thursday in addition to a 53% increase in London and 332 deaths. However, the average death toll within four weeks of a positive test slumped below 100 per day for the first time since August, further featuring a downward trend, the United Kingdom Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) reported.

The lowering statistics, as analysed by experts, have been witnessed in the wake of the increasing cases of Omicron variant, which now accounts for 93% is the new infections, Sputnik reported. 

The daily figure of positive tests hit 1,83,000 on Wednesday, which was reportedly four to five times the daily averages seen in autumn. In addition, the Omicron variant cases across the UK have totaled to 2,29,666, with 19,544 new cases Thursday. Nevertheless, the newly infected individuals displayed far milder symptoms than the Delta variant, UKSHA said.

However, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government is yet to order strict measures for mandating face masks in communal indoor spaces and public transport. 

"I’m sorry to say this, but the overwhelming majority of people who are currently ending up in intensive care in our hospitals are people who are not boosted," PM Johnson stated on Wednesday. 

Is this is the Omicron effect? 

With the steep rise in cases, the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is fuelling concern. However, the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday stated that it is still too early to be reassured by the initial data suggesting the severity of infection from Omicron.

On Wednesday, the UK recorded 57 deaths from the viral disease. However, noting the rise in COVID-19 infections, Professor Andrew Hayward from the UK government's Nervtag Advisory Body said that the threat from the Omicron variant could be downgraded "from a hurricane to a very severe storm" as new studies showed that the variant is weaker than Delta, the Telegraph reported. 

In its earlier report, UKHSA cited its preliminary findings into the new variant, saying that "Omicron appears to result in less severe disease for those infected with it."

Nevertheless, the agency did confirm that the new strain is more transmissible. It could also lead to a significant number of people needing hospital treatment over the coming weeks. In the research, the health agency also noted more Omicron infections among those who earlier contracted COVID-19.

As per The Telegraph, the results were consistent with two other studies conducted by Imperial College London and the University of Edinburgh. 

(Image: AP)