The risk of dying from COVID-19 was 67% lower for people infected with the Omicron variant compared to the earlier Delta strain, a study, yet to be peer-reviewed, has found.
The reduction in the risk of death with Omicron compared to Delta was more pronounced in males than in females and in people under 70 years old.
The UK study, led by Vahé Nafilyan of the UK office of National Statistics and involving research scientists from Oxford University and University College London, studied data from 1,035,163 people aged 18-100 years who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in the national surveillance program.
The researchers said the reduction in risk of death involving COVID-19 is most pronounced in individuals who had received a booster shot of vaccine.