UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves Downing Street to attend Prime Minister’s Questions at the House of Parliament on July 7, 2021 in London, England.
Chris J. Ratcliffe | Getty Images News | Getty Images
LONDON – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed on Monday that at least one patient infected with the new Omicron variant of Covid-19 has died in the country.
“Unfortunately, yes, Omicron leads to hospital admissions and unfortunately it has been confirmed that at least one patient has died with Omicron,” Johnson said during a visit to a vaccination clinic near Paddington, London, according to Sky News.
“So I think the idea that this is kind of a milder version of the virus is something that we need to put aside and just see the sheer pace at which it is accelerating through the population. So the best we can do is all get our boosters. “He said.
On Monday, UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid told the BBC that there are currently 10 people in hospital after contracting the Omicron variant. Javid said Omicron was spreading at a “phenomenal rate” and cases doubling every few days.
A study announced Monday by Oxford University found that two doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca or Pfizer BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine were significantly less effective at fighting off Omicron compared to previous variants of the coronavirus.
However, the scientists were optimistic that booster vaccinations would improve immunity to the new, highly transmissible variant.
This is breaking news, please check back later to find out more.
