COVID, flu severity similar, but Omicron BA.5 patients more likely to die--study

COVID, flu severity similar, but Omicron BA.5 patients more likely to die, 2021-22 study suggests kieferpix / iStock CIDRAP

In 2021 and 2022, the proportion of hospitalized COVID-19 and influenza patients admitted to a US intensive care unit (ICU) were similar, but COVID-19 patients admitted during the Omicron BA.5 variant period were more likely to die in the hospital, according to a study published late last week in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.

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