Omicron may cause over half of COVID-19 infections in Europe, warns EU

Europe has so far recorded a few dozens of infections with the Omicron variant, which was first detected in southern Africa last month.

Brussels: The European Union`s public health agency said on Thursday that the Omicron variant could be responsible for more than half of all COVID-19 infections in Europe within a few months.

The estimate could lend weight to preliminary information about the very high transmissibility of the Omicron variant, above that of the Delta variant, which before Omicron was considered the most contagious of the main coronavirus strains.

"Based on mathematical modelling conducted by ECDC, there are indications that Omicron could cause over half of all SARS-CoV-2 infections in the EU/EEA within the next few months," the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said in a statement.