Editorial - Omicron: back to square one?

Even before the Omicron COVID-19 variant emerged, there were signs throughout Europe that a new wave of infection had taken hold, with both the numbers of those infected and those hospitalised reaching new highs.

New restrictions are now being imposed, in particular on those who have not been vaccinated. This is controversial from a freedom-of-choice point of view but understandable from those who view the situation through the lens of public health: ICUs are getting overwhelmed and the wider health service in several countries is being compromised as a result.

With this new variant seemingly more virulent, and able to more easily bypass the immunity of those vaccinated or previously infected, have things changed literally overnight? Should we be preparing ourselves for a new cycle of social restrictions?

This analysis is hampered by the fact that the data regarding the Omicron variant is still rather patchy and scant. It appears Omicron is about 40 per cent more likely to infect people who have been vaccinated or previously infected than the other variants of COVID, including the still dominant Delta.

What has not emerged so far is a pattern of more serious infections and a...