Omicron could kill 75,000 in England by end of April, scientists say | Coronavirus | Latest News Headlines

Stricter Covid restrictions may be needed to prevent Omicron from causing between 25,000 and 75,000 deaths in England over the next five months, according to scientists advising the government.

Experts from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), who also sit on the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modeling (SPI-M) or the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), used experimental data to examine how Omicron may transmit as the country heads to 2022.

Even in the most optimistic scenario (weak immune escape of Omicron from vaccines and high efficacy of booster injections), a wave of infection is predicted that could lead to a peak of over 2,000 daily hospitalizations, with 175,000 hospitalizations. and 24,700 deaths between December 1 of this year and April 30, 2022.

This is if no additional control measures are implemented beyond the current Plan B introduced by the government in England.

The team said wearing a mask, working from home and booster shots may not be enough, and predicted a peak in daily hospital admissions of 2,400 in January.

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