UAE doctors have hailed the robust vaccination campaign launched by the authorities in limiting the impact of the Omicron COVID-19 variant. While daily COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the UAE, death rates due to the virus have remained low in the country. According to reports, the number of deaths reported daily has remained below two over the past several days.

Doctors have underlined UAE's massive vaccination campaign as the primary reason behind the achievement. As part of the campaign, 100 percent of UAE's eligible residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while more than 92 percent are fully vaccinated.

COVID-19 vaccination along with the ongoing booster dose drive has helped in minimizing hospitalizations, complications and deaths due to the virus. A majority of the infected cases are reporting mild symptoms.

As per a study published in the JAMA journal on December 30, 2021, the daily cases are increasing but the majority of the cases have reported mild symptoms.

Dr Srinivasa Rao Polumuru, specialist in internal medicine, NMC Speciality Hospital, explained that the Omicron COVID-19 variant causes milder respiratory symptoms than other variants.

"Though Omicron variant is highly contagious, fatality rates are much less ( less than 3%) in people who are vaccinated with booster dose as per this study in South Africa," Dr Rao added.

Dr Fiaz Ahamed, MD, Infection Control Physician, Thumbay University Hospital, stated that the SARS-CoV-2 variant of Coronavirus B.1.1.529 (named Omicron) has higher infectivity compared to other previous versions of the virus, including Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta. Therefore, it has led to a sudden rise in the number of cases in the UAE, he added.

“It is because the country has very high vaccinated individuals, it has been observed that all the admissions in the hospital due to COVID-19 are mild cases that hardly require the supplemented oxygen support. It indicates that this variant is much better than the previous ones in terms of death due to the infection," the doctor explained.

Medicos have noted that people infected with the new variant require only home isolation. It is easily spreading among people, however, the illness is not severe due to the character of the mutation and the status of vaccinations, added Dr. Mohamed Aslam, specialist pulmonologist, International Modern Hospital in Dubai.

He affirmed that the UAE's robust vaccination campaign has helped in reducing the severity of illness from the new variant.

While the UAE is witnessing a spike in daily infections, hospitalisations due to COVID-19 has remained significantly low. Most of the beds in hospitals and intensive care units are vacant.

Doctors have also pointed out that vaccinated and unvaccinated residents may react differently in response to the virus based on their body immunity.

“The available vaccinations against COVID-19 have proven to protect individuals against severe illness, hospitalization and even deaths due to infection with the Omicron variant,” Dr Fiaz added.

He highlighted that protection against Omicron is 25 times higher in individuals who have received both doses of COVID-19 vaccine as well as a booster dose in comparison with other individuals who have just taken the main two doses of the vaccination.

In this regard, doctors have called on all fully vaccinated residents to receive their booster dose and strictly adhere to safety protocols to enhance the national fight against the pandemic.