Omicron's R number 'could be high as five' - but peak could be short, Chris Whitty says

16 December 2021, 13:44 | Updated: 16 December 2021, 19:16

Anybody infected with the Omicron coronavirus variant could pass it on to up to five other people, an expert has warned.

However, the peak of the fast-spreading strain is expected to arrive "really quite fast" and possibly decline quicker than previous forms of the virus, MPs have been told.

A massive booster jab campaign, which aims to get every adult to book their extra doses by the end of the year, is under way to bolster protection against Omicron.

Meanwhile, new Plan B measures, including mandatory face masks, work from home guidance and the use of a Covid pass for certain venues has been introduced.

However, MPs on the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee were told that even as people take more precautions over the festive period, a quick uptick in cases is likely.

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Dr Susan Hopkins, the chief medical adviser at the UK Health Security Agency, said Omicron's R number is thought to be “between three and five”, suggesting that somebody who is infected with the variant could pass it on to three to five others.

And Prof Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, said: "I think what we will see with this - and I think we are seeing it in South Africa - is that the upswing will be incredibly fast, even if people are taking more cautious actions, as they are.

"That will help slow it down, but it's still going to be very fast.

"It'll probably therefore peak really quite fast. My anticipation is it may then come down faster than previous peaks but I wouldn't want to say that for sure.

"I'm just saying that that is a possibility."

He also warned the peak number of people admitted to hospital with Covid in a single day – which stood at 4,583 - could be passed in the event of a short but sharp spike.

"That is entirely possible. It may be less than that. But I'm just saying that is certainly possible," the expert said.

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MPs were also told on Thursday that 15 people in hospital are confirmed to be infected with the variant.

"However, we are constantly working on data linkage to improve that, and we will release new numbers this afternoon," Dr Hopkins said.

Prof Whitty added: "But the real number will be much bigger than that. That is simply the number who are proven, just to be clear."