'Omicron' Not More Severe Than Delta Variant Of Covid: Top US Scientist

The new variant is "clearly highly transmissible," very likely more so than Delta, but "it almost certainly is not more severe than Delta", according to top US scientist Anthony Fauci.

Top US scientist Anthony Fauci said Tuesday that while it would take weeks to judge the severity of the new Covid-19 variant 'Omicron', early indications suggested it was not worse than prior strains, and possibly milder.

Speaking to AFP, President Joe Biden's chief medical advisor broke down the knowns and unknowns about Omicron into three major areas: transmissibility, how well it evades immunity from prior infection and vaccines, and severity of illness.

The new variant is "clearly highly transmissible," very likely more so than Delta, the current dominant global strain, Fauci said.

Accumulating epidemiological data from around the world also indicates re-infections are higher with Omicron.