Omicron vs. delta: “It’s 50-50”
Around half of all Covid cases in Belgium are now caused by omicron variant. The rest are linked to delta variant. Biostatistician Geert Molenberghs believes omicron will now gain the upper hand and infection rates will once again rise. Hospitalisations may not rise as quickly as in the past.
The fact that omicron is overtaking delta variant is not unexpected and had been forecast to occur at Christmas for ten days now.
Hasselt and Antwerp University scientist Molenberghs says matters will now speed up. He expects up to 95% of cases to be omicron variant by the end of the year.
“We’re not entirely sure. We often see the rise in the new variant curve flatten slightly as it takes over”.
Molenberghs expects the overall downward infection trend to be reversed in the course of next week. Belgium is still lagging behind infection rates abroad where figures are shooting up. This is in part due to corona measures that were introduced more broadly sooner here. Day infection levels already show the overall fall is slowing down.