People with omicron less likely to need hospitalization, U.K. report finds

LONDON — People who contracted the omicron variant of the coronavirus were about half as likely to need hospital care as those infected with the delta variant, and one-third as likely to need emergency care, according to a report issued Friday by British health officials.

The analysis of public data also found that vaccination offers strong protection against hospitalization and severe illness after omicron infection, helping to prevent the worst outcomes even as infection rates in Britain soar to record levels.

The findings represent some of the largest sets of real-world data to be released since the highly contagious variant was first discovered in late November, and adds to a growing body of evidence that omicron may not present as great a danger of hospitalization and severe illness to the public as earlier variants.

"The latest set of analysis is in keeping with the encouraging signs we have already seen," said Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at the U.K. Health Security Agency, which issued the report.

The risk of being admitted to a hospital for omicron cases was 65% lower for those who had received two doses of a vaccine, compared with those who had not received any vaccination.

The rate of hospitalization was even lower among those who had received three doses of vaccine, according to the report. People who had received booster doses were 81% less likely to be admitted to the hospital, compared with unvaccinated people, according to the agency.

Nicholas Davies, an assistant professor of mathematical modeling at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, cautioned that the report covered mostly a younger mix of patients. "The omicron wave is starting in younger people," he said. "It's important to bear in mind that we don't have much data on risks in older people yet."

Health officials have noted that omicron presents a challenge because of the sheer speed at which it is moving through the public. Vaccines are less effective at preventing infections than had been the case with other variants, according to the findings.

"Vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic disease with the omicron variant is significantly lower than compared to the delta variant and wanes rapidly," according to the report.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.