Scotland's struggling health service faces a “substantial wave of hospitalisations” over the next two months caused by Omicron, an expert has warned.
Professor James Chalmers said the NHS is already under severe pressure from non-covid ailments and the huge backlog in treatments caused by repeated lockdowns.
The consultant respiratory physician at Dundee University was speaking after Scotland recorded 16,857 new coronavirus infections - a record for a single day.
Initial studies suggest the Omicron variant is less likely to cause serious illness in people - especially if they are fully vaccinated.
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