Omicron now responsible for 60% of infections in Belgium

Omicron now responsible for 60% of infections in Belgium
Credit: Belga/Nicolas Maeterlinck

The Omicron variant of the coronavirus is continuing its rapid spread and already accounts for 60% of confirmed cases in Belgium, according to microbiologist Emmanuel André, in charge of the national reference lab for Covid-19 in Belgium.

Last weekend, Omicron overtook Delta to become the dominant variant in Belgium as it accounts for more than 50% of all detected Covid-19 cases.

"60% of the infections are now due to this new variant. The number of cases will now be driven by the rapid rise of Omicron. The impact will be mitigated by a massive booster campaign and eventual milder virulence. But there is still a high workload to come for the health sector," he added.

On Saturday, biostatistician Geert Molenberghs told VTM News that he expects the new variant to account for 90-95% of all new infections by New Year.

"The infection figures are now on a downward slope but the difference is less significant on a daily basis," Molenberghs remarked. "If this continues, there will come a time when infections will start to rise again, as seen abroad."

In recent days, Omicron has been the main cause of a record number of Covid-19 cases being registered in France, Italy and the United Kingdom. In Belgium, hospitalisations continue to drop.


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