The risk of hospitalization for Omicron could be much lower than for Delta- breaking latest news

Due new studies products in South Africa and in Scotland suggest that anyone infected with the variant Omicron coronavirus SARS CoV-2 has a chance significantly lower than ending up in hospital compared to those infected with the Delta variant. The data was revealed by the Wall Street Journal, and picked up by international agencies.

The data – they speak of 66 percent lower hospitalization rates (according to the Scottish study) e 70-80% (according to the South African one) – however, they also explain that the very high speed of diffusion of the Omicron variant, and his significantly higher ability to infect people who have been vaccinated or who had recovered from Covid, in fact, greatly reduces the benefit for health systems given by the lower hospitalization rate: and this is because Omicron simply infects many more people.

Not only that: the lower risk of hospitalization could derive precisely from the fact that Omicron also infects vaccinated people – who, however, thanks to the protection of vaccines, do not end up in hospital. In other words: Omicron could also have the same ability as Delta to cause severe forms of Covid, but from a statistical point of view this could be “hidden” by the fact that many infected are vaccinated – and since vaccines work (i.e. protect against severe form of Covid), the “optical illusion” of a less “bad” variant is generated.

The Scottish study – still not peer-reviewed – is based on the health data of 5.4 million people. Both the Scottish and South African researchers explained that it is not yet possible to draw definitive conclusions on the nature of the variant, which since it was categorized – at the end of November – has spread to 80 countries around the world, causing everywhere (or at least contributing to cause) a rapid surge in cases.

Both working groups said that more data is needed to build a more accurate picture. In Scotland, most Omicron infections have occurred in people between the ages of 20 and 59, who tend to suffer from less severe symptoms than older people. And even in South Africa the population is on average younger than in the United States or Europe. In the country in the first four weeks of the Omicron wave, 5.7 percent of new cases were hospitalized, compared to 15.6 percent for the Delta wave and 16.2 percent for the Beta wave. The good news that comes from the South Africa is that the case count has started to drop in the last week, decreasing by 20%. The data looks encouraging but experts call for caution as the figures may have been skewed by the fewer tests performed during the holiday season.