Omicron: Beginning of the End?

The latest wave of Covid-19 appears to lead to milder symptoms and relatively fewer people in intensive care units. Optimism is on the rise

• A wave of cautious optimism is making its way through European countries – as the Omicron variant of Covid-19 seems to cause less severe illness compared to its predecessors.
• In most places infections are rising but fewer people are ending up in intensive care. The UK has already seen a decline in cases. So has South Africa, the first country to detect the variant.
• A growing number of countries are therefore reducing contact restrictions and other Covid-prevention measures. But political strategies differ from capital to capital.
• Other developments are also adding to the optimism: Booster vaccine shots appear to prevent cases of severe illness. And pharmaceutical companies are coming up with efficient antiviral drugs.
• Experts warn that it might be too early to expect the end of the pandemic. But data guru Tomas Pueyo calls for a general cutback of Covid regulations.