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At least one Omicron death in UK confirmed At least one Omicron death in UK confirmed
(32 minutes later)
The novel Omicron strain has claimed its first victims in the UK, prime minister Boris Johnson has confirmed during a visit to a vaccination clinic in west London. The new Omicron strain has claimed its first victim in the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed during a visit to a vaccination clinic in West London.
DETAILS TO FOLLOW Johnson made the announcement on Monday, saying “sadly, yes, Omicron is producing hospitalizations and sadly at least one patient has been confirmed to have died with Omicron,” as quoted by the British media.
The premier called on people not to write off Omicron as a “milder version of the virus,” pointing to the “sheer pace at which it accelerates through the population.”
The takeaway message from Johnson’s statement on Monday was that a booster dose of Covid vaccine could minimize the risk of infection or, failing that, at least render the symptoms less dangerous.
Earlier on Sunday, the prime minister had warned people in the UK that there was a “tidal wave of Omicron coming.” He also set a new deadline: that, by the end of December, a booster would be available for all those willing to get additional protection from the virus.
A total of 3,137 Omicron cases have been detected in the UK to date, according to Sky News. However, most of those patients are being treated at home, with only ten people hospitalized in England, as Health Secretary, Sajid Javid, revealed on Monday.
Amid the rapid spread of the new strain, the British government made the decision on Sunday to move the nationwide Covid alert from level 3 to level 4, which indicates that “transmission is high and direct Covid-19 pressure on healthcare services is widespread and substantial or rising.”