Scientists from the Yitzhak Rabin Medical Center detected it during the 2021-2022 flu season. Patients hospitalized with influenza were 55% less likely to die within 30 days than those hospitalized with the omicron variant of COVID-19. The study will be presented at the Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in Copenhagen.
The researchers compared the clinical outcomes of 167 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (Omicron variant) and 221 patients hospitalized with influenza. The research took place in Israel. 63 patients died within 30 days: 19 (9%) had influenza and 44 (26%) had coronavirus.
The Omicron variant is considered less contagious and less dangerous than its predecessors (delta and alpha strains). The scientists noted that the high death rate from omicron may be due to the fact that hospitalized patients are older and more likely to suffer from diabetes and kidney disease.
The study showed the importance of more research and regular flu and COVID-19 vaccines, especially for older people with chronic illnesses.