Denmark anticipates that the Covid-19 omicron variant will overtake Delta within one week, as it is the most common strain of this new strain. The Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen estimates that the number of cases doubles each day. This is the agency responsible for infectious disease surveillance within the Scandinavian nations.

Troels Lillebaek (chairman of Denmark’s Covid variant Assessment Committee) told CNBC Tuesday that at least 10% of all sequenced Covid cases now involve omicron. This is a huge jump from the late November, when Denmark had not seen a single omicron-related case.

“What is happening in Denmark right now is a very sharp increase in the number of Omicron cases per day. We’re actually seeing a double of every day,” Lillebaek said. He is also director of Statens surveillance laboratory and professor at University of Copenhagen. Within a week, Omicron will become the predominant variant in Denmark.

Lillebaek reported that 75% are now fully immunized, with the use of two doses of vaccines. 9% of patients who have been diagnosed as omicron positive received booster shots.

Lillebaek said, “We do not believe what we’re seeing in Denmark is a particular Danish phenomenon.”

In the United States, only 61% are fully vaccinated. Tens of millions have yet to receive a shot. The University of Nebraska Medical Center infectious disease specialist Dr. James Lawler said that the United States has only weeks to stop a new wave of omicron infections.

Lawler said Monday that “We’re going be in trouble.” “We have enough delta. The triple whammy that we are likely to receive is seasonal, omicron, and delta.

Researchers and health professionals are still trying to determine if omicron is more dangerous than delta. According to Statens Serum Institut data, approximately 99% of omicron-infected patients in Denmark are not currently being hospitalized. Hospital admissions will likely increase over the holiday season.

According to Lillebaek, Denmark is expecting 500 Covid hospital admissions each day in the worst-case scenario. This in an area of 5,9 million inhabitants. According to data from the Danish government, 508 Covid patients were hospitalized nationwide as of Wednesday.

“There will be many of them.” [hospital]Lillebaek explained that there are many admissions now and it is a concern that some hospital employees will be positive for HIV and need to return home in isolation. The vulnerable will continue to exist. There are many options: some get chemotherapy; others have an immune defect or biological treatment for their rheumatism.

On Tuesday, The World Health Organization cautioned countries not to dismiss omicron’s mild variant. Omicron is spreading fasterThe WHO says that this strain is stronger than any other known virus.

Although the U.S. is not experiencing an epidemic of cases like in Denmark, this variant is rapidly gaining popularity across America. On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that omicron represented 2.9% of sequenced Covid casesThis was an increase of 0.4% from the previous week. According to the CDC, Delta accounts for 97% of all sequences Covid cases.

Rochelle Walsky, director of the CDC said Wednesday that omicrons could be responsible for as high as 13% of all cases in New York State and New Jersey.

Lawler explained that it would not be much milder than the one that causes hospitalizations and is less likely to do so.

Lawler acknowledged that transmission can not be eliminated by the U.S., however, there are steps the U.S. could take to minimize hospitalizations. This includes making sure that everyone over 5 years old is vaccinated and that all those who are eligible get a booster.

Pfizer and BioNTech released preliminary data last week that indicated that the two-dose vaccination against infection is significantly less effective with omicron. The companies stated that two doses could still protect against severe diseases. Supplement shots provide significant protectionAccording to laboratory data, it is ineffective against infection.

Lawler stated that there are mitigation steps such as wearing masks inside public spaces and keeping indoor gatherings to a minimum. Close contact is also possible to help stop the tide. “You know, there’s that old saying — ‘hope is not a plan.’ Right?” Lawler said.

Politically, however, the idea of reintroducing mitigation measures to the U.S. proved controversial. However, New York CaliforniaMask mandates have been reintroduced Texas FloridaLocal governments and school boards have been prohibited from applying them. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis declared Friday that “the emergency has ended” and stated that mask mandates were no longer needed due to widespread availability of vaccines.

The federal President Joe Biden has set the vaccine requirements federal contractors private businessesFederal courts currently block these cases. The president has ruled out lockdownsInstead of relying on vaccines and extensive testing in the winter,

Denmark has, however, implemented a number of measuresTo stem the spread of infections. To encourage people to work at home, the national government has made it possible for primary school students to go online through January 4. In most public indoor spaces, masks are mandatory. Bars, restaurants and cafés close at midnight. Nightclubs will be closed. Covid permits are needed to prove oneself to be vaccinated.

United Kingdom also raised alarm. Covid threat assessment to level 4Sunday’s warning was one step less than that of the most severe. Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, said Monday that omicron was causing hospitalizations. He also confirmed the first U.K. death due to the variant. He cautioned that Britain faces a “tidal wave” of omicron infections.

Sajid Javid (UK Health Secretary) told BBC Monday that the spread of omicron has been “phenomenal” and is increasing at a rate of two cases per day. England encourages people to work remotely, mandates masks for indoor public areas, and requires two proofs of vaccination before they can enter nightclubs or large events.

The U.K. has reported its highest ever number of Covid cases in Wednesday’s history since the outbreak.

Rochelle Walenksy, Director of the CDC, stated that she doesn’t believe the U.S. will be following the same timeline as in the U.K.. On omicron. “I don’t anticipate will be on a similar time horizon U.K. And we continue to follow cases, we’ll examine that carefully,” she told a White House Covid update Friday.

CNBC heard last week from Michael Osterholm (Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, University of Minnesota) that Omicron would soon overtake Delta in the U.S.

Osterholm stated last week to CNBC that “it’s only a matterof time before omicron become the dominant variant here, but I think it could happen fairly quickly.”

Mike Ryan (executive director of WHO’s health emergencies program) said Tuesday that countries should begin preparing for the omicron by now. Ryan said that governments must ensure their systems are equipped with enough personnel, triage, and oxygen supplies.

Ryan stated that “health systems are less strong now than they were one year ago.” It’s not easy sometimes to recover from one punch but you can often get up again after another.