Omicron variant which is driving a new wave of cases in the US, is causing a higher daily American death toll than the previous Delta variant. Andrew Noymer, a public health professor at the University of California said, “Omicron will push us over a million deaths.”
“That will cause a lot of soul searching. There will be a lot of discussion about what we could have done differently, how many of the deaths were preventable,” he further added.
The average death toll is now at the same level as last February.
As per the AP-NORC poll which was revealed this week, most Americans have started taking precautionary measures against the virus than before the omicron surge.
Also read | BA.2 subvariant more transmissible than original Omicron: Scientists
Meanwhile, scientists have recently warned that the new subvariant, BA.2, is 1.5 time more transmissible than the original Omicron strain.
The Omicron variant BA.2 also known as a “stealth Omicron” has surged in UK and Denmark.
According to Denmark’s Statens Serum Institute, the new sublineage is 1.5 times more transmissible than the original Omicron strain also known as BA.1.
The World Health Organisation(WHO) hasn’t declared BA.2 as a “variant of concern” but the health body said it is monitoring the situation as it spreads worldwide.
(With inputs from agencies)
