2021

"Denmark and Norway predict drastic spike in Omicron cases"


The New York Times interviewed Dr. Christina Ramirez, UCLA FSPH professor of biostatistics, about the potential threat of the COVID-19 Omicron variant

Gloved hands holding a COVID-19 test

Public health authorities in Denmark and Norway on Monday released grim projections for the coming wave of the Omicron coronavirus variant, predicting that it will dominate both countries in a matter of days. Although scientists don’t yet know how often the variant causes severe disease, they say its rapid rate of spread will lead to an explosion of cases and could potentially increase pressure on hospitals, even if it proves to be mild.

The reports follow similarly worrisome findings from England released over the weekend, although researchers caution that the trend could change as the variant comes into clearer view. It’s not yet certain how often Omicron infections will send people to the hospital, or how many hospitalized patients are likely to die. And while Omicron can partly evade immune defenses, researchers have yet to determine how well vaccinations and previous infections will protect people against severe disease.

The authors of both new reports also observed that swift actions now, such as booster campaigns and reducing opportunities for Omicron to spread, could lessen the variant’s impact.

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Faculty Referenced by this Article

Dr. Christina Ramirez
Christina Ramirez
Biostatistics
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Catherine M. Crespi headshot
Catherine M. Crespi
Biostatistics
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Damla Senturk
Biostatistics
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Andrew Holbrook
Andrew Holbrook
Biostatistics
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Brunilda Balliu headshot
Brunilda Balliu
Biostatistics
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Li, Jingyi Jessica
Jingyi Jessica Li
Biostatistics
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Honghu Liu
Biostatistics
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Dr. Jin Zhou
Jin Zhou
Biostatistics
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Dr. Gang Li
Gang Li
Biostatistics
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Dr. Robert Erin Weiss
Robert Erin Weiss
Biostatistics
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Sean Darling-Hammond
Sean Darling-Hammond
Biostatistics Community Health Sciences
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David Elashoff
Biostatistics
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Dr. Hilary Aralis
Hilary Aralis
Biostatistics
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William G. Cumberland
Biostatistics
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David Gjertson
Biostatistics
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Dr. Michele Guindani
Michele Guindani
Biostatistics
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Sudipto Banerjee
Sudipto Banerjee
Biostatistics
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Xiaowu Dai headshot
Xiaowu Dai
Biostatistics
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Hyun J. Grace Kim
Biostatistics
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Ron Brookmeyer
Ron Brookmeyer
Biostatistics
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Dr. Zhe Fei
Zhe Fei
Biostatistics
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Dr. Weng Kee Wong
Weng Kee Wong
Biostatistics
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Hua Zhou
Hua Zhou
Biostatistics
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Martin L. Lee
Martin L. Lee
Biostatistics
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Dr. Donatello Telesca
Donatello Telesca
Biostatistics
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Dr. Marc Suchard
Marc Suchard
Biostatistics
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Dr. Dorota Dabrowska
Dorota M. Dabrowska
Biostatistics
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Jason H. Moore, Ph.D.
Jason H. Moore

Automated and accessible artificial intelligence methods and software for biomedical data science.

Biostatistics
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Catherine Ann Sugar
Catherine Ann Sugar
Biostatistics
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Thomas Belin
Thomas R. Belin
Biostatistics
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Abdelmonem Afifi
Abdelmonem A. Afifi
Biostatistics
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"New virus cases begin to slow in U.S. cities where Omicron hit first"

The New York Times interviewed Dr. Christina Ramirez, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health professor of biostatistics, about reports that infections are falling in U.S. cities hit early on by the Omicron variant, suggesting a national peak may be approaching.

Source: The New York Times Read Full Article