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12/16/2021 11:45 GMT — Omicron multiplies 70 times faster than Delta
According to a recent laboratory study, which is yet to be peer-reviewed, Omicron replicates 70 times faster than the Delta variant in cells from the upper respiratory tract. However, the scientists also found that Omicron replicates 10 times less efficiently in lung tissue than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus.
These findings may help explain why Omicron is particularly transmittable — more virus particles in the upper airways make it more likely to move from one individual to another.
The fact that it replicates less well in lung tissue might hint that it causes less severe disease. However, laboratory studies on cells do not always translate to humans.
Dr. Muge Cevik, a clinical lecturer in infectious diseases and medical virology at the University of St. Andrews in the United Kingdom, discussed the findings on Twitter. She explains:
“Less efficient replication in the lungs may suggest lower severity, but severity in humans is not determined only by virus replication but also the host immune response.”
“For those asking whether this is good [or] bad news, simple answer: I don’t know. While Omicron may infect the lung cells less efficiently, a higher viral load may worsen immune response,” she concludes.
