I'm not sure of the dynamics of different Covid variants

[Stinky The Clown]

Delta, for example, has been raging. Now we see Omicron overtaking Delta.

Wouldn't they both still be raging? It seems to me they can both coexist and our overall numbers would grow exponentially.

Or does one somehow crowd out the other? Can one cause the other to stop being spread?

[drray23]

1. They both compete for host bodies

Since the omicron has a higher R0, somebody infected with it will pass it to more people than somebody with delta. Pretty quickly, the majority of cases end up being omicron because the number of people carrying delta goes down since they either recover or die and new delta carriers are not produced as fast as new omicron carriers.

[Stinky The Clown]

2. Thanks!