Omicron 5 instances extra more likely to reinfect than Delta, no much less extreme: examine – Nationwide

The chance of reinfection with the Omicron coronavirus variant is greater than 5 instances greater and it has proven no signal of being milder than Delta, a examine by Imperial Faculty London confirmed, as circumstances soar throughout Europe and threaten year-end festivities.

The outcomes had been based mostly on UK Well being Safety Company and Nationwide Well being Service information on individuals who examined optimistic for COVID-19 in a PCR take a look at in England between Nov. 29 and Dec. 11.

“We discover no proof (for each danger of hospitalization attendance and symptom standing) of Omicron having completely different severity from Delta,” the examine mentioned, though it famous that information on hospitalizations stays very restricted.

“Controlling for vaccine standing, age, intercourse, ethnicity, asymptomatic standing, area and specimen date, Omicron was related to a 5.4-fold greater danger of reinfection in contrast with Delta,” the examine, which was dated Dec. 16, added.

“This means that the safety in opposition to reinfection by Omicron afforded by previous an infection could also be as little as 19 per cent,” Imperial Faculty added in a press release, noting that the examine had not but been peer-reviewed.

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An earlier examine by Britain’s SIREN taking a look at reinfection danger in well being employees, which was carried out earlier than Omicron emerged, discovered {that a} first coronavirus an infection provided 85 per cent safety from a second for the next six months.

The information analysed by Imperial Faculty was based mostly on 333,000 circumstances, together with 122,062 of Delta and 1,846 which had been confirmed because the Omicron coronavirus variant by genome sequencing.

The brand new findings may speed up the imposition of tighter restrictions throughout various European nations in a bid to stem the brand new variant’s unfold.

(Reporting by Clara-Laeila Laudette; Enhancing by Alexander Smith)

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