Data indicate Omicron is milder, better at evading vaccines

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The Omicron variant appears to cause less severe disease than previous versions of the coronavirus, and the Pfizer vaccine seems to offer less defense against infection from it, but still offers good protection from hospitalization, according to an analysis of data from South Africa, where the new variant is driving a surge in infections.

The findings released Tuesday are preliminary and have not been peer-reviewed — the gold standard in scientific research — but they line up with other early data about Omicron’s behavior, including that it seems to be more easily transmitted.

Still, some experts cautioned that it’s too soon to draw conclusions about the outcomes from Omicron since the variant is still quite new and hospitalizations can lag weeks behind infections.

People who received two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine appeared to have just 33 percent protection against infection, compared to those who were unvaccinated, during South Africa’s current Omicron-fueled wave, but 70% protection against hospitalization, according to an analysis conducted by Discovery Health, South Africa’s largest private health insurer, and the South African Medical Research Council.

The study did not look at booster shots, which are not yet prevalent in South Africa but which data from elsewhere has indicated improves protection.

Experts now say that Omicron accounts for more than 90% of all new infections in South Africa, according to Discovery Health chief executive Dr. Ryan Noach, and it is also picking up steam in other countries.

Researchers around the world are rushing to figure out what the variant will mean for the coronavirus pandemic now well into its second year. More information came Tuesday from Pfizer, which announced that its experimental pill to treat COVID-19 — separate from it its vaccine — appears effective against Omicron.