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Hospitalisation less likely with omicron: Studies
Updated On: 24 December, 2021 08:22 AM IST | London | Agencies
Worldwide researchers, however, stress that the severity of Omicron could be different for other populations and the effect on older age groups is yet to be fully studied
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People wait in long lines in Manhattan to get tested for Covid-19 on December 22 in New York City. Pic/AFP
Two studies based on real-world Covid-19 UK data on Thursday reported that the Omicron variant is less severe than the Delta variant, with fewer infected people requiring hospitalisation. Research by Imperial College London found that people with PCR-confirmed Omicron are 40 to 45 per cent less likely to spend a night or more in hospital compared to the Delta variant. Those with Omicron after a previous infection are 50 to 60 per cent less likely to be hospitalised, compared to those with no previous infection. However, the risk of hospitalisation is higher for the unvaccinated.
“Our analysis shows evidence of a moderate reduction in the risk of hospitalisation associated with the Omicron variant compared with the Delta variant,” said Imperial’s Professor Neil Ferguson. “However, this appears to be offset by the reduced efficacy of vaccines against infection with Omicron,” he cautioned. The “high transmissibility” of Omicron could lead to health services facing “increasing demand” if cases grow at the rate seen recently, he said after the UK recorded over 100,000 daily Covid infections on Wednesday. The sample for the Imperial College study, which is yet to be peer-reviewed, included 56,000 Omicron cases and 269,000 Delta cases.
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