The WHO says this may be because of where the early infections were noticed, and that we'll need some more time to know for sure.

https://www.yahoo.com/now/u-k-buying-time-mideast-111736790....

> The initial reported infections were among university students, WHO said, adding that younger patients tend to have milder symptoms.

> “Understanding the level of severity of the omicron variant will take days to several weeks,” WHO said in a statement, adding that “there is currently no information to suggest that symptoms associated with omicron are different from those from other variants.”

Keep your fingers crossed that it holds. A rapidly spreading milder variant would be a bit of a godsend.

Isn't this how epidemics normally end? A mild but very infectious variant becomes dominant, as part of the disease fading into the background à la the flu?

“It presents mild disease with symptoms being sore muscles and tiredness for a day or two not feeling well. So far, we have detected that those infected do not suffer loss of taste or smell. They might have a slight cough. There are no prominent symptoms. Of those infected some are currently being treated at home.”

Plus: “The official noted that hospitals have not been overburdened by Omicron patients and that the new strain is not been detected in vaccinated persons.”

It is far too early to tell whether this variant is better or worse.

So it is like a natural vaccine that spreads itself to everyone for free?