NHS staff absences for COVID reasons have gone up more than 50% across England, latest figures from NHS England show
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"But while we'll leave no stone unturned to get the NHS battle-ready, it remains the case that the best way to protect yourself and others is to follow guidance and to come forward and get your first, second and booster jabs."Jeremy Farrar, a former member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, says the latest data on Omicron means it is"very reasonable" to hold off on introducing any new restrictions.
That's the assessment of Professor Andrew Hayward, director of the UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Healthcare and a member of Nervtag, speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme. Professor Hayward added:"It's undeniably good news, but I think we're definitely not out of the danger zone - I think perhaps we can downgrade this from a hurricane to a very severe storm."
China has so far officially recorded seven Omicron cases: four in Guangzhou, two in Changsha and one in Tianjin.Xi'an's restrictions are some of the toughest since China imposed a strict lockdown in Wuhan in 2020, the city where COVID was first detected in late 2019.Studies from scientists at Edinburgh University and Imperial College London have suggested the Omicron variant appears to be milder and is associated with a reduced risk of hospitalisation.
However, Professor Neil Ferguson, from the Imperial College London team behind the study, warned that Omicron's severity may be offset by the"reduced efficacy" of vaccines to stop it from being transmitted.
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