The risk of reinfection with the Omicron coronavirus variant is more than five times higher and it has shown no sign of being milder than Delta, a study by Imperial College London showed, as cases soar across Europe and threaten year-end festivities.

The results were based on UK Health Security Agency and National Health Service data on people who tested positive for Covid-19 in a PCR test in England between Nov 29 and Dec 11, Reuters reports.

“We find no evidence (for both risk of hospitalisation attendance and symptom status) of Omicron having different severity from Delta,” the study said, although it noted that data on hospitalisations remains very limited.