Expert virologist explains why Omicron is causing less severe symptoms than earlier variants

[snoop1130]

 

BANGKOK (NNT) - Dr. Yong Poovorawan, a virology expert at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine, has provided explanations as to why the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is causing less severe symptoms of COVID-19 than earlier strains.

 

According to the expert virologist, there were 5 reasons for the symptoms of those infected with the Omicron variant being less severe.

 

Firstly, the number of infections in children has risen greatly and symptoms in this population group are not severe. Infected children generally present cold-like symptoms or no symptoms. The severity of symptoms increases with age, and this is most apparent in the elderly.

 

Secondly, a large number of adults, including the elderly, have already been vaccinated. Vaccination reduces the severity of symptoms when an individual contracts COVID-19.

 

Thirdly, real-world studies such as those in South Africa have found that the Omicron variant inflicts less damage on patients than the Delta variant.

 

Dr. Yong cited cell culture studies pointing to the bulk of the virus being concentrated at cells of the upper respiratory tract instead of those in the lungs, meaning less of the virus was entering the lungs of infected persons.

 

He added that the coronavirus has evolved to better co-exist with host cells, in a manner similar to how past respiratory tract viruses caused severe infections at first before transforming into endemic diseases.

 

Although the number of worldwide daily new infections has topped a million, the death rate from infections has declined. Dr. Yong said infection numbers only took into account confirmed infections whereas there were great numbers of infected persons who either did not get tested or did not display symptoms. He believed the real infections figure was likely many times higher than that reported to the World Health Organization and these untallied individuals have already developed immunity to COVID-19. Dr. Yong said that taken together with vaccinated individuals, it is likely that the world now has several billion people with immunity.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2022-01-06

 

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[daveAustin]

This guy is switched on and consistent; should be in charge of the country. Esp poignant on the infection rate, particularly Thailand which would be many times what is reported. Still a lack of testing coupled with no incentive—you typically get carted away. 

[lujanit]

Covid is non-discrimatory.  It doesn't care about age, underlying conditions or vaccination status.  Scary stuff.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-06/nsw-records-34-994-covid-cases-and-six-deaths/100740744

 

 

[Roy Baht]

9 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

This guy is switched on and consistent; should be in charge of the country. Esp poignant on the infection rate, particularly Thailand which would be many times what is reported. Still a lack of testing coupled with no incentive—you typically get carted away. 

Yeah, that's all we need: Thailand run by a Sinovac salesman.

[TooMuchTime]

7 hours ago, lujanit said:

Covid is non-discrimatory.  It doesn't care about age, underlying conditions or vaccination status.  Scary stuff.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-06/nsw-records-34-994-covid-cases-and-six-deaths/100740744

 

 

Cringe at posting 1 example of someone young dying.

 

How about look at the overall data instead of taking one data point out of millions.

 

Here is an example of the data from US CDC up to Oct 2021.  Very high survival rates.  I bet if I update the numbers so more "omicron" is included, they will be even higher.

 

https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#demographics

[AwwYesNice1]

9 hours ago, daveAustin said:

This guy is switched on and consistent; should be in charge of the country. Esp poignant on the infection rate, particularly Thailand which would be many times what is reported. Still a lack of testing coupled with no incentive—you typically get carted away. 

 

All this info was published overseas and regurgitated.

[hotchilli]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Dr. Yong Poovorawan, a virology expert at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine, has provided explanations as to why the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is causing less severe symptoms of COVID-19 than earlier strains.

 

According to the expert virologist, there were 5 reasons for the symptoms of those infected with the Omicron variant being less severe.

Expert my %#@$%#$@%

[jacko45k]

9 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Expert my %#@$%#$@%

I had second thoughts..... if the fact that he is Thai makes at least Thais listen to him, his input is justified. 

[pseudorabies]

7 hours ago, AwwYesNice1 said:

 

All this info was published overseas and regurgitated.

And it seems that info like this doesn't get noticed in Thailand until a Thai "expert" repeats it.

 

It's a big world out there, with very knowledgeable non-Thai scientists including some Nobel-prize winning scientists with important things to say about the virus.  But before new findings are disseminated in the Thai media it apparently must be approved by a Thai scientist with likely lesser qualifications who then repeats the findings as if they had generated the data.  If they cited labs in the US, UK, Germany, France, Japan etc it would at least give the impression that Thailand is part of an international research network. Which itself could be a good thing.

[ozimoron]

8 hours ago, AwwYesNice1 said:

 

All this info was published overseas and regurgitated.

Because, you know, most Thais don't read English too well.

[ozimoron]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Expert my %#@$%#$@%

Evidence or just flinging dung?

[realfunster]

18 hours ago, daveAustin said:

This guy is switched on and consistent; should be in charge of the country.

Thanks mate, I needed a good laugh ????

 

As you apparently are not aware, please read some news reports from Europe or US today, it will save you the bother of reading Dr Yong’s ‘pronouncements of wisdom’ in around 2-3 weeks time. 

[Caldera]

Always great when Dr Yong weighs in.

[ozimoron]

Just now, Caldera said:

Always great when Dr Yong weighs in.

Ever thought you might play the ball instead of the man?

[jacko45k]

On 1/7/2022 at 10:12 AM, pseudorabies said:

And it seems that info like this doesn't get noticed in Thailand until a Thai "expert" repeats it.

Glad I am not the only one thinking same.....