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COVID: Risk of hospitalisation with Omicron appears to be two-thirds lower than with Delta, Scotland study suggests
A study of 15 people, which has not been peer reviewed, follows separate data from South Africa which also showed a lower risk of hospitalisation with the Omicron variant. The latest study was carried out by the University of Edinburgh.
Wednesday 22 December 2021 18:46, UK
[IMG alt="Ambulances outside the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London, as the government refused to rule out introducing further restrictions to slow the spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus Picture date: Monday December 20, 2021.
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https://e3.365dm.com/21/12/768x432/...pg?bypass-service-worker&20211220143914[/IMG]
Image:The study found the risk of hospitalisation was lower for Omicron
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The risk of hospitalisation with Omicron is two-thirds lower than with the Delta variant, a small study suggests.
The study by University of Edinburgh scientists and other experts in Scotland was based on only 15 people in hospital.
It has not been peer-reviewed.
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The report says: "These early national data suggest that Omicron is associated with a two-thirds reduction in the risk of
COVID-19 hospitalisation when compared to Delta.
"Whilst offering the greatest protection against Delta, the third/booster dose of vaccination offers substantial additional protection against the risk of symptomatic COVID-19 for
Omicron when compared to ≥25 weeks post second vaccine doses is associated with a two-thirds reduction in the risk of COVID-19 hospitalisation when compared to Delta.
"Whilst offering the greatest protection against Delta, the third/booster dose of vaccination offers substantial additional protection against the risk of symptomatic COVID-19 for Omicron when compared to ≥25 weeks post second vaccine dose."