The highly contagious Omicron strain of coronavirus causing milder illness compared to previous variants of concern has fuelled a debate around the risk of catching the virus. Many have asked why to take extreme precautionary measures against the virus since the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant would expose almost everyone to the disease. "I agree that sooner or later everyone will be exposed, but later is better," said virus expert Michel Nussenzweig of Rockefeller University. Omicron especially dangerous for the unvaccinated, warns WHOAnother reason to take preventive measures against Omicron is that people with milder symptoms could still infect others who are at risk for severe illness. There is also a lack of data on the long-term effects of Omicron infection, which means underestimating Omicron could put people at risk of a debilitating long-haul Covid syndrome that can linger for months or years.

Source: Hindustan Times January 13, 2022 04:18 UTC