A sign requiring masks is seen outside a closed business during the ongoing coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19) in Washington, DC, USA, December 27, 2021. REUTERS / Elizabeth Frantz
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May 5 (Reuters) – The Omarron variant of the SARS-CoV2 virus is essentially as severe as previous variants, contrary to assumptions made in previous studies that it is more portable but less severe. study in the United States.
“We found that the risks of hospitalization and mortality were almost identical between periods,” said four researchers who conducted the study based on records of 130,000 patients with COVID-19, citing times over the past two years when different options were dominant. worldwide. .
The study, which was peer-reviewed in the Nature Portfolio and published in Research Square on May 2, was adjusted for confusing factors, including demographics, vaccination status and Charleson’s comorbidity index, which predicts the risk of death within a year. after hospitalization for patients with specific comorbid conditions.
Studies suggesting the Omicron variant is less severe have been conducted in a variety of locations, including South Africa, Scotland, England and Canada, said researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital, University of Minerva and Harvard Medical School.
They said their study could have several limitations, including the ability to underestimate the number of patients vaccinated in more recent COVID waves and the total number of infections, as it excludes patients who perform rapid tests at home.
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Report by Sayantani Ghosh in Singapore; Edited by Robert Birsel
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