Tessa Quinn
The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant was confirmed in the UK in December 2021, driving a surge in cases that surpassed previous records. In October 2024, London declared a 'major incident' as the Omicron variant saw the city record its largest number of new cases since the pandemic began, with over 26,000 cases in 24 hours. Hospital admissions rose, as did staff absences. By May 2025, the Stratus variant, a descendant of Omicron, had become the dominant strain in England, accounting for around 25% of global Covid cases.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | December 2021 |
| Omicron Variant Arrival | Confirmed in December 2021 |
| Omicron Impact | Increase in cases, hospitalisations, and deaths |
| Omicron Characteristics | Highly transmissible |
| Omicron Hospital Cases | Vast majority were unvaccinated |
| Omicron Response | "Winter plan" reintroduced rules and restrictions |
| Omicron Cases in London | Particularly high |
| Total UK Cases (as of 20 December 2021) | 11.4 million |
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What You'll Learn
Omicron's impact on the UK's healthcare service
The Omicron variant of COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the UK's healthcare service. In December 2021, the arrival and rapid spread of Omicron in the UK were confirmed, driving a further increase in cases that surpassed previous records. London, in particular, saw a huge surge in Omicron cases, with the city declaring a 'major incident' due to the overwhelming number of new cases, which exceeded 26,000 in a single day. This surge in infections put immense pressure on the healthcare system, with hospital admissions rising alongside staff absences.
The highly transmissible nature of Omicron led to a rapid increase in cases, overwhelming hospitals and healthcare providers. The impact of Omicron on the UK's healthcare service was exacerbated by staff shortages due to infections and exposures, as well as the existing backlog of patients from previous waves of the pandemic. The situation was so dire that the UK government reintroduced some restrictions under the "winter plan" in December 2021 to curb the spread of the virus and ease the burden on the healthcare system.
Omicron's high transmissibility and ability to evade existing immunity posed significant challenges to the healthcare service. The rapid increase in cases led to a surge in hospital admissions, particularly among the unvaccinated. The strain on the healthcare system was further compounded by the need to provide economic support to struggling businesses and furlough schemes for employees, diverting resources away from healthcare.
While mass vaccination campaigns helped keep deaths and severe illnesses lower compared to previous waves, the sheer number of Omicron cases still resulted in increased hospitalisations. The impact of Omicron on the UK's healthcare service extended beyond the immediate crisis, with long-term effects on healthcare capacity and resource allocation. The healthcare system struggled to address the backlog of patients whose treatments and surgeries were postponed due to the pandemic, affecting the quality of care and patient outcomes.
Overall, the Omicron variant had a profound impact on the UK's healthcare service, overwhelming hospitals, exacerbating staff shortages, and disrupting the delivery of healthcare services. The UK's experience with Omicron highlights the ongoing challenges posed by new variants and the need for continued vigilance and adaptive strategies to protect both the public's health and the resilience of the healthcare system.
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Omicron's arrival in the UK
The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant was confirmed to have arrived in the UK in December 2021, and it began to spread widely in the community, particularly in London. The Omicron variant caused a further increase in cases that surpassed previous records, although the true number of infections was thought to be higher. London declared a 'major incident' as Omicron cases surged, with hospital admissions and staff absences rising.
In response to the Omicron variant, the UK government reintroduced some rules in December 2021 under the "winter plan". These restrictions were lifted in February and March 2022 as the Omicron wave continued. Economic support was provided to struggling businesses, including a furlough scheme for employees.
In May 2025, the Omicron variant and its subvariants, XFG and XFG.3, made up around 40% of COVID-19 cases in England, according to UKHSA data. The Stratus variant, a descendant of Omicron, became the dominant strain in England, accounting for 25% of global COVID-19 cases as of May 2025. However, it is important to note that Stratus does not appear to cause more severe illness, hospitalisations, or deaths compared to earlier Omicron variants.
The NB.1.8.1 variant, which stemmed from Omicron, was first detected in January 2025 and has since spread globally. As of late April, it comprised about 10.7% of submitted sequences worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO declared NB.1.8.1 a "variant under monitoring" on May 23, 2025, indicating a potential impact on the behaviour of the virus. However, existing COVID-19 vaccines are considered effective in preventing severe disease.
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The UK's Omicron wave
The UK experienced a wave of Omicron cases in December 2021, which continued into February and March 2022 when the remaining restrictions were lifted. The Omicron variant was first detected in November 2021, and by December, it was spreading widely in the community, particularly in London, driving a further increase in cases. London declared a 'major incident' as hospital admissions rose, and staff absences increased dramatically. The unvaccinated made up the majority of those hospitalised.
In December 2021, scientists predicted that Omicron could cause between 25,000 and 75,000 deaths in England by April 2022 if stricter restrictions were not implemented. The winter plan was introduced in response to the Omicron wave, and it included some restrictions and economic support for struggling businesses and their employees. Despite the wave of Omicron cases, mass vaccination kept deaths and hospitalisations lower than in previous waves.
By May 2025, Omicron had become the dominant global strain, with the Stratus subvariant accounting for around 25% of cases. Stratus is a highly transmissible version of Omicron with mutations that help it evade antibodies from prior infections or vaccinations. However, it does not appear to cause more severe illness, hospitalisations, or deaths than earlier Omicron variants.
In June 2025, the XFG variant, also known as Stratus, became the dominant strain in England, with XFG and XFG.3 strains accounting for around 40% of cases. The World Health Organization (WHO) warned of a "significant rise" in XFG cases, which grew rapidly from 7% of global cases in May to 23% by June 1. Despite this, the WHO ranked the overall risk as "low", as there was no evidence of additional health risks compared to previous strains.
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Omicron hospitalisations in London
In December 2021, the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant was confirmed to have arrived and started to spread widely in the UK, particularly in London, driving a further increase in cases that surpassed previous records. The "winter plan" reintroduced some rules in response to the Omicron variant in December 2021, and all restrictions were lifted in February and March 2022 as the Omicron wave continued.
In December 2021, scientists from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine predicted that Omicron could cause between 25,000 and 75,000 deaths in England over the five months to April 2022 unless more stringent restrictions were put in place. It was also predicted to become the dominant variant by the end of 2021.
Omicron is a highly transmissible version of Covid that first appeared in November 2021. As of May 2025, XFG, a subvariant of Omicron, accounts for around 25% of global Covid cases. The World Health Organization (WHO) has ranked the variant's overall risk as "low", as there is currently no evidence to suggest the variant poses additional health risks compared to previous strains.
According to the WHO, the detection of XFG is increasing across several countries, with a stable to slightly increasing trend in viral activity and hospitalizations. However, it is important to note that XFG does not appear to lead to more severe illness or deaths than other variants in circulation. This is consistent with Dr. Khan's statement that XFG does not seem to be worse than earlier Omicron variants in terms of illness, hospitalizations, or deaths.
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Omicron's effect on hospital staff
The Omicron variant of COVID-19 had a significant impact on hospital staff in the UK. In December 2021, the Omicron variant was detected in the UK and began to spread rapidly, particularly in London. This surge in cases put a strain on the country's healthcare system, including hospital staff.
One of the main challenges for hospital staff during the Omicron wave was staffing shortages. Many healthcare workers became infected with Omicron or had to isolate due to exposure, leading to reduced staff availability. This resulted in increased workloads and fatigue for those still working. Dr. Haines from Revelstoke noted that the situation was demoralizing and discouraging, especially when treating unvaccinated patients.
The high infection rates among hospital staff highlight the vulnerability of this group to SARS-CoV-2 infections. Even with vaccination, lockdown measures, and other preventive actions, hospital staff continued to experience reinfections and positivity rates remained concerning. This situation was not unique to the UK, as hospitals in Italy and Massachusetts also reported infections and reinfections among healthcare workers during the Omicron wave.
To protect hospital staff and patients, various measures were implemented. These included universal masking, admission testing and retesting, employee health attestations, visitor symptom screening, and mandatory vaccination for healthcare workers. However, these measures did not entirely eliminate the risk, as hospital-onset infections persisted. Staff working while ill, inadequate ventilation, and limited mask effectiveness were also contributing factors.
The Omicron variant's impact on hospital staff extended beyond infections and workloads. The emotional and mental toll of the pandemic on healthcare workers cannot be overlooked. Seeing people suffer and dealing with the overload on the healthcare system took a significant toll on their well-being. Additionally, the constant worry about infection, both for themselves and their patients, added to the stress and anxiety they faced during this challenging period.
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Frequently asked questions
The Omicron variant of COVID-19 was first detected in the UK in December 2021. London saw a huge surge in Omicron cases, with over 26,000 new cases in a 24-hour period. Hospital admissions rose, but the true number of infections was thought to be higher.
The vast majority of patients hospitalised with Omicron were unvaccinated.
While Omicron drove a further increase in cases that surpassed previous records, it did not seem to cause more serious illness.
The UK's winter plan reintroduced some rules in response to the Omicron variant in December 2021. Remaining restrictions were lifted in February 2022 as the Omicron wave continued.
In December 2021, scientists predicted that Omicron could cause 25,000 to 75,000 deaths in England by April 2022. However, this was based on the assumption that restrictions would not be tightened.
