Omicron more transmissible but poses less risk of hospitalisation than past variants, says study

A University of Edinburgh study found Omicron is associated with a two-thirds reduction in the risk of Covid-19 hospitalisation when compared to Delta.

The Omicron variant appears to cause much less risk of hospitalisation compared to older strains of the virus, studies from the UK and South Africa indicate.

However as Omicron is more transmissible than older variants, health authorities here have warned even a small percentage of higher case numbers becoming severely ill will affect services.