The Omicron variant remains the dominant topic in COVID-19 discussions. More transmissible but milder than Delta, it lingers with symptoms including fatigue, cough, fever, and in only 10% of cases, loss of taste or smell—unlike Delta. Additional effects can include chills, ear pain, digestive issues, and even sleep paralysis. Amid hopes from recent health measures, health authorities warn of a potential new wave driven by the Omicron BA.2 subvariant.
In India and Denmark, BA.2 has become the predominant strain. On January 25, during an LCI appearance, Health Minister Olivier Véran cautioned about possible re-infection even for recent Omicron cases. "What the Danes are telling us is that it's exactly the same with one difference that we need to explore... we could potentially re-contaminate with BA.2 even when we would have been contaminated with the Omicron variant, which could give a competitive advantage to BA.2 which could suddenly circulate a little more widely." This raises questions about whether BA.2 is more transmissible or evades vaccines and prior Omicron immunity.
Caution is warranted with emerging variants. However, early data from Denmark's Statens Serum Institut (January 20) shows no differences in hospitalization rates between BA.1 and BA.2. France has identified around 15 cases. Researcher Étienne Simon-Lorière remains optimistic: "In the worst-case scenario of rising cases, we can expect severe forms to be less common than with other variants, as seen with Omicron." No signs point to another lockdown.
