The Omicron variant spreads much quicker than the government says!

In the days around Christmas, the new variant spread very quickly in Hungary, according to the biggest private lab in the country. They analysed the positive samples and measured the frequency of the Omicron variant 60 pc in them. The Neumann Labs. reported on 22 December that the new variant is only present in 25 pc of the new COVID-positive samples. That was already a higher rate than the government communicated before. The administration talked about 15 patients having the Omicron variant then.

There is no official data about the spread of the Omicron variant

According to telex.hu, experts already said before Christmas that the number of patients infected by the new variant was higher than the official communication reported. On 23 December, officials said that the number of such patients tripled. Interestingly, on the official coronavirus website, koronavirus.gov.hu, the top news is still about the tax refund for families raising children. Below, there is the Christmas message of the prime minister, but there is no updated news or detailed report about the spread of the Omicron variant.

Therefore, experts can only rely on data provided by private labs.

Read also: Government: Hungary’s healthcare system prepared for potential next wave

Treating a patient in a Hungarian hospital. Photo: MTI/Zoltán Balogh

Less severe symptoms but much more patients

Miklós Nyíri, CEO of Neumann Labs., said in the ATV that the number of patients having the new variant is rising swiftly. They analysed COVID-positive samples to discover how many of them were caused by the Omicron. “Regarding the last hundred of the analysed samples, the rate of Omicron reached 60 pc” – he said.

The sample and the result of their research is probably not representative. But experts believe the new variant is already dominant in Hungary.

Meanwhile, the Hungarian News Agency said today that only 68 cases of the Omicron variant have been officially detected in Hungary.

The spread speed and virulence of the Omicron is higher than the other variants. Therefore, it is expected to become the world’s dominant variant soon. Meanwhile, it seems that it causes less severe symptoms. However, since it can infect much more people, it might push the country’s healthcare system behind its operability limit.