Corona: Omicron variant more dangerous than expected

Created: 05/11/2022, 12:01 p.m

By: Judith Brown

Omicron is widely considered a more harmless variant of Corona.

However, the results of a new study from the USA cast doubt on this assumption.

Boston – Omicron has a reputation that, unlike its predecessors, it is a much more contagious variant of the corona virus.

However, those infected can usually expect a milder course of Covid-19.

At least that was the general consensus so far.

The results of a new study from the USA are now raising doubts about this thesis.

Corona: Omicron variant more dangerous than expected

Is Omicron more dangerous than thought?

For a study, scientists examined 130,000 data.

© Westlight/IMAGO

For the study, which involved researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, Minerva University and Harvard Medical School, they looked at data from 130,000 Covid-19 cases.

The patients tested positive for the coronavirus with a PCR test between December 2020 and February 2022.

During this time, different variants dominated worldwide.

For example, from July to November 2021, there were more delta infections, while from December 2021 to February 2022, omicron cases predominated.

Overall, the data showed that fewer people were infected with Corona in summer than in the winter months.

With regard to omicron, Zachary Strasser and his team found "that the risks for hospitalization and mortality between periods were almost identical" to previous mutants.

"Our analysis suggests that the intrinsic severity of the omicron variant may be as severe as previous variants," the study states.

A closer look at the numbers shows that although the number of corona cases increased during the omicron wave, the risk of hospitalization (12.7 percent) and the risk of death were lower than in the previous phases.

During the delta wave from December 2021 to February 2022, the value was between 14.2 and 15.8 percent.

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Omicron variant probably just as deadly as previous corona variants

The scientists take demographic characteristics, vaccination status and underlying diseases of the corona patients into account in the data.

It turned out that the omicron variant, which announces itself with different symptoms, is just as deadly as the previous variants.

Admittedly, the risk of hospitalization shows a less consistent pattern.

However, it is higher than in winter 2020/2021 and lower than in spring 2021. The distribution of demographic variables such as age, gender, origin and additional diseases in addition to Covid-19 have changed during the various corona waves.

They are related to how mild or how severe a corona disease is.

Corona study: Scientists point out limitations in results

At the same time, the researchers pointed out that their results may have limitations.

The total number of infections and the number of vaccinated people in recent corona waves could have been underestimated.

Because the study only included patients with a positive PCR test, but not people who had a positive self-test or rapid test.

This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication.

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