Omicron Death Rate Higher Than During Delta Surge

Feb. 9, 2022

With the Omicron variant now accounting for nearly 100% of COVID-19 instances within the United States, the seven-day common of day by day COVID-related deaths hit 2,600 lately, the best charge in a few yr,The Washington Post reported.

That’s larger than the roughly 2,000 day by day deaths final autumn throughout the Delta surge, however lower than the three,000 day by day deaths final January, when COVID vaccines weren’t broadly accessible, The Post knowledge evaluation mentioned.

The Omicron variant usually causes much less extreme illness than different strains of COVID, however as a result of it’s so transmissible, Omicron is infecting larger uncooked numbers of those who earlier strains.

“Even if on a per-case basis fewer people develop severe illness and die, when you apply a small percentage to a very large number, you get a substantial number,” Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist on the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, informed The Post.

The unvaccinated, folks over 75, and folks with underlying medical situations are the teams most endangered by Omicron, The Post mentioned. About half of the deaths in January 2022 had been amongst folks over 75, in comparison with a few third in September throughout the Delta surge.

The age pattern is seen in Florida, mentioned Jason Salemi, an epidemiologist on the University of South Florida College of Public Health. He informed The Post that seniors accounted for about 85% of deaths final winter, about 60% throughout the Delta surge, and about 80% now throughout the Omicron surge.

The uptick in senior deaths might have occurred as a result of seniors who bought vaccinated in early 2021 didn’t get boosted forward of the Omicron surge, he mentioned.

“Omicron may be less severe for younger people, but it will still find vulnerable seniors in our community,” Salemi mentioned. “That vaccination back in February isn’t as effective now if you aren’t boosted.”

CDC knowledge reveals that 95% of individuals within the United States over 65 have gotten not less than one dose of vaccine, 88.5% are totally vaccinated, however solely 62.5% have gotten a booster dose.

The COVID demise charge is highest within the Midwest. During the final two months, Chicago reported greater than 1,000 COVID deaths, virtually as a lot because the December 2020 peak, The Post mentioned. Minorities have been hit exhausting. About third of town’s inhabitants is Black however about half the COVID victims are Black, The Post mentioned.

“It’s been challenging because it goes up against the national narrative that omicron is nothing dangerous,” mentioned Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health.

In a Wednesday information briefing at The White House, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, supplied barely totally different statistics on COVID-related deaths. She mentioned that the seven-day common of day by day deaths was about 2,400, up 3% from the earlier week.

The seven-day day by day common of instances is about 247,300 instances per day, down 44% from the earlier week, she mentioned. Hospital admissions are about 13,000 day by day, down 25% from the earlier week.

Walensky mentioned the Omicron variant now accounts for nearly 100% of COVID viruses circulating within the United States.