People infected with Omicron have approximately 15 to 20% less risk in terms of hospitalization compared to the Delta variant, researchers from Imperial College London said on Wednesday.
According to the data, there is also a reduced risk of longer hospital stays, where cases with Omicron are 40-45% less likely to be hospitalized for one night or more.
The report reviewed all Omicron cases confirmed by PCR tests in the UK in the first two weeks of December. Estimates suggest that re-infection cases have a 50-60% reduced risk of hospitalization, the Imperial College London statement said.
However, although it is good news, it is not enough to not have anti-Covid measures because the rapid spread of Omicron means that a large number of infections can lead to high number of hospitalizations.
"Given Omicron's high transmissibility, there is a potential for health services to face an increase in cases if Omicron infections continue to grow at the rate seen in recent weeks," said Professor Neil Ferguson, director of the MRC Center for Global Analysis. of Infectious Diseases.
An earlier report from Imperial College London estimated that the risk of re-infection with the Omicron variant was 5.4 times higher than that of the Delta variant. The researchers said booster doses of the vaccine also provide significant protection against Omicron.
