How can Omicron spread much faster than Delta variant?

Indonesia experiences the surging of Covid-19 cases nowadays.

Epidemiologist from the Center for Environmental and Population Health at Griffith University Australia, Dicky Budiman, said people who had not been vaccinated were at greater risk of developing severe symptoms from Omicron.

According to him, people who have not been vaccinated are one of the factors that make the Omicron spread much faster than the Delta variant.

So, mitigation efforts need to be increased. "This is about our adherence to the discipline of health protocols, strengthening early detection, and of course accelerating vaccination," said Dicky.

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According to him, the Omicron variant is not weak. This variant seems weak if it is transmitted to people who already have immunity, either because they have been vaccinated or have been infected and then vaccinated.

Dicky appealed to the public not to underestimate the Omicron variant. Even for people who have been vaccinated there are still deaths, although much smaller. Moreover, for people who have not been vaccinated, the risks are very dangerous.

If these things weren't done, he judged the deployment speed of the Omicron variant as unattainable.

Dicky reminded that this virus is a disease that closely related to people's behavior. He said, if the behavior is decreased or ignored, then the spread will be faster.

Epidemiologist from the Faculty of Public Health, University of Indonesia, Iwan Ariawan, said that vaccines are very influential in reducing the risk of severe Covid-19 symptoms and death, especially in the elderly and people with comorbidities.

Iwan conveyed that compliance with health protocols and compliance with the use of the PeduliLindung application were currently declining in the community.

This condition needs to be improved, especially now that the more infectious Omicron variant dominates.