WILLEMSTAD - The Omicron variant of the coronavirus will be the dominant variant in Curaçao within one to two weeks. Epidemiologist Izzy Gerstenbluth makes that prediction.
As is now known, Omicron is not nearly as life-threatening as Delta. Yet – authorities worldwide emphasize – this will not take the pressure off the healthcare system. After all, the variant is much more contagious. As a result, the absolute numbers of patients in hospital will not decrease, but may even increase.
News reports from countries where Omicron has previously become dominant point to another danger: temporary absence of people in crucial professions. The first signal is the many flights that were canceled especially in the United States during the Christmas season because too many cabin crew were in quarantine. In New York, many subway rides have been canceled for the same reason. Many hospital staff are also at home.
Until yesterday, 57 employees of the Curaçao Medical Center were infected with Covid-19, which is putting pressure on healthcare.
However, in South Africa, where the Omicron variant was first discovered, they are seeing a large drop in hospital admissions, presumably because of the Omicron variant. According to the South African authorities, Omicron is more contagious, but this fourth variant also seems a lot less harmful, the BBC reports.
When the Omicron variant was discovered last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the variant could cause a "tsunami" of infections worldwide. That would seriously overburden healthcare.
In South Africa, however, they see the opposite happening. A government statement said today that the number of hospital admissions has fallen across the country. The number of infections now also appears to be decreasing.
Gerstenbluth says the Omicron variant is currently found in 72 to 80 percent of cases. That will be 100 percent within a maximum of two weeks. What the spread of Omicron in Curaçao will do to the number of hospital admissions remains to be seen for the time being.