Risk of long COVID associated with delta versus omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2, Antonelli et al 2022

[John Mac]

Omicron appears to cause less severe acute illness than previous variants, at least in vaccinated populations. However, the potential for large numbers of people to experience long-term symptoms is a major concern, and health and workforce planners need information urgently to appropriately scale resource allocation.

In this case-control observational study, we set out to identify the relative odds of long-COVID (defined following the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines as having new or ongoing symptoms 4 weeks or more after the start of acute COVID-19) in the UK during the omicron period compared with the delta period.

Overall, we found a reduction in odds of long COVID with the omicron variant versus the delta variant of 0·24–0·50 depending on age and time since vaccination. However, the absolute number of people experiencing long COVID at a given time depends on the shape and amplitude of the pandemic curve.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00941-2/fulltext

Covered in NewScientist
https://www.newscientist.com/articl...on-variant-may-be-half-what-it-is-with-delta/

 

[Denise]

Even if it is true that delta is more likely to trigger LC, the sheer number of people who have gotten omicron (and many have gotten it more than once) means the numbers of PwLC are greater than those who got delta.
And little, if any investigation has been done about repeat infections and likelihood of LC (please correct me if I am wrong on that). Or on PwLC getting reinfected.......