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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Are the symptoms of the omicron variant as severe as those of the delta variant?

By Lisa Freedland
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NO

Preliminary data suggest that while the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 is highly contagious, it typically causes a mild sickness "that can resemble the common cold," resulting in fewer hospitalizations and deaths than previous strains.

A U.K. study published last week found that the risk of hospitalization from omicron "was approximately one-third of that from delta." The study also found that those with three vaccine doses were 81% less likely to be hospitalized from omicron than those without a dose.

A South African study also published last week similarly found that fewer individuals infected with omicron were hospitalized, and that among those who were, their symptoms were less severe, fewer required oxygen, and their stay was shorter than in prior waves.

A separate South African study found that the death rate dropped from 29.1% with Delta to 2.7% with omicron.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
CNET 'All indications' suggest omicron's milder than delta, Fauci says, but don't get complacent
UK Government SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and variants under investigation in England
SSRN Clinical Severity of COVID-19 Patients Admitted to Hospitals in Gauteng, South Africa During the Omicron-Dominant Fourth Wave
JAMA Network Characteristics and Outcomes of Hospitalized Patients in South Africa During the COVID-19 Omicron Wave Compared With Previous Waves
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Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.