Amid the rising COVID-19 cases, the impact of seasonal flu is also worrisome. Both diseases are contagious and both viral diseases can either be mild or severe. Now, a new study has revealed that adults hospitalized with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant have a higher death rate than those hospitalized with seasonal influenza.
The findings of the study were presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID).
These results are concerning as the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is considered less virulent with lower case fatality rates than the delta and alpha strains.
The study was conducted by Dr. Alaa Atamna and colleagues from the Rabin Medical Center at Belinison Hospital in Israel. While conducting the study, the researchers ompared the clinical outcomes of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (Omicron variant) and those hospitalized with influenza at a large academic hospital in Israel.
The scientists found that adults (18 years or older) hospitalized with influenza were 55 percent less likely to die within 30 days than those hospitalized with Omicron during the 2021-2022 influenza season.
According to the researchers, Patients with Omicron tended to have higher overall comorbidity scores, needed more assistance performing activities of daily living, and were more likely to have high blood pressure and diabetes. Menawhile, asthma was more common in those hospitalised with influenza. Respiratory complications and the need for oxygen support and mechanical ventilation were also more common in Omicron cases than in seasonal influenza, the scientists found.
Dr. Atamna claims that one possible reason for the higher Omicron death rate is that patients admitted with Omicron were older with additional major underlying illnesses such as diabetes and chronic kidney disease.
The researcher also warned that the double whammy of overlapping influenza and COVID-19 epidemics will increase the complexity of disease and the burden on health systems.
However, the study was observational and cannot prove causation and it was conducted in one hospital in Israel. So, the results may vary in other hospitals and countries.
