A new report from the British newspaper The Telegraph indicates that one of Britain's top health advisers has been accused of publishing ''dodgy data'' to exaggerate the risk of the omicron variant of COVID-19.

According to Mark Harper, chairman of the Covid Recovery Group: ''Covid restrictions damage people's lives, livelihoods and mental wellbeing. So it's really important that the debate about them is based on solid data.''

''Serious questions need to be asked if senior health advisers are furnishing ministers with misleading figures, and failing to correct them at the earliest opportunity.''

''Ministers also have a responsibility to ask detailed questions to ensure they aren't using dodgy data,'' he added. ''We can do better than this.''

Harper's comment comes in light of a statement by the chief executive of the U.K. Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Dr. Jenny Harries, who said that for the U.K., omicron is ''probably the most significant threat we've had since the start of the pandemic.''

The newspaper added that the ''dodgy data,'' which was cited by U.K. Health Secretary Sajid Javid, may be used as a case for ''urgent new Covid-19 restrictions, on the basis that the country could be on the brink of a major spike in hospitalisations due to omicron.''

Despite these concerns, however, the newspaper added that ''the latest UKHSA data show that people infected with the variant were between 50 and 70 percent less likely to be admitted to hospital than with'' the delta variant.

• Omicron Spreading and Infecting the Vaccinated
• Omicron is the Fastest Variant Yet: What You Should Know