The World Health Organisation has urged people not to panic as scientists around the world work to learn about COVID's Omicron variant.
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Separated by just a short 2.5 hour flight, Denmark and Norway are two Nordic countries currently in the midst of their biggest Covid outbreaks in the history of the pandemic.
They also serve as a warning as to how Omicron could drastically impact case numbers.
In Denmark the Statens SerumInstitut has found that Omicron will become the country's dominant strain by the end of this week, with cases doubling every 1.6 days.
Recent infection figures have also seen the country report daily case numbers between 4294 and 7021, nearly double their previous high of 3527 daily infections from December 2020.
As of Monday, 3437 confirmed cases of the Omicron have been recorded, with that daily figure growing from 560 to 631 and 966 from Friday to Sunday.
Prudent for them to do so. #Omicron is continuing on a very dangerous exponential surge with new daily cases doubling every 1.6 days in the UK and Denmark. pic.twitter.com/tS5Uz6oZHV
Director of the Statens Serum Institute, Troels Lillebaek said the risk posed by the new variant should not be underestimated.
"Regardless of the uncertainty about the precise severity and contagiousness of Omicron, there is a very high risk of an increasing number of (hospital) admissions," he said.
Responding to the growing cases and potential threat of Omicron, bars and restaurants have been ordered to close before midnight, with schools also encouraged to return to online learning.
People wait in front of La Boucherie on Vestergade in Copenhagen in September. Denmark's government has ordered nightclubs, bars and restaurants to close at midnight in an attempt to counter an uptick in Covid-19 cases it was announced on December 9. Photo / AP
Denmark not likely the outlier
Denmark's steep increase in case figures could also be a warning sign the new variant is seeding itself into other countries undetected.
This is because Denmark has one of the world's most sophisticated Covid tracing programmes, which is adept at picking up emerging variants.
Speaking to The Washington Post, Lillebaek said a similar trend is most likely happening in other countries.
"Everybody is tested very frequently in Denmark with a very sensitive system, so if you were to do that in other European countries, you would likely find many more cases," he said.
"It's not like Denmark is a special home for Omicron."
Norway: 'We are in a serious situation'
Norway is also experiencing pandemic-high Covid figures, tripling their previous peak in September.
Worst-case scenarios from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) showed cases could balloon from 90,000 to 300,000 in just three weeks, despite the current daily record sitting at 4700 cases. Dire modelling also estimated that hospital admissions could increase to 50 to 200 admissions per day if significant measures don't work.
Speaking to media on Monday, Norway Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre introduced a ban on bars and restaurants from serving alcohol while also closing gyms, pools and increased restrictions in schools.
"We are in a more serious situation," he said.
"There is no doubt – the new variant changes the rules. That's why we need to act fast and we need to act again."
The transmissibility of the virus was showcased after a corporate Christmas party in Norway's capital of Oslo resulted in at least 140 infections.
Held by renewable power company Scatec on November 26, the most recent numbers suggest around 120 guests were in attendance, with an additional 400 to 500 patrons also attending the same restaurant that night.
As of December 9, the FHI reported that 70 per cent of Scatec's guests were infected with Covid (111 guests), with an additional 60 customers from the restaurant also testing positive. This is despite the fact all partygoers were fully vaccinated and had returned a negative Covid test within three days of the party.
While genetic sequencing is ongoing, 17 of these cases were linked to the Omicron strain. Eight of the guests who have since tested positive to Covid had travelled outside Norway, including to Africa, two weeks prior to the event.
In light of the event, Norway's health body issued a bleak warning to residents.
"The situation is becoming increasingly serious," the FHI stated in its most recent release published on December 13.
"The number of detected cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection is increasing rapidly, followed by an increase in hospital admissions.
"The Omicron variant is becoming established in Norway and will soon dominate. This will significantly increase transmission," it said in its most recent release published on December 13."
