Omicron is less likely to be hospitalized, but vaccine protection is weaker - study

A government study conducted in the UK confirmed a lower risk of hospitalization for infection with the omicron strain of coronavirus - but also a lower effectiveness of revaccination.

According to the UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA), the probability of hospitalization with Omicron is 50-70% lower than with Delta, the probability of being admitted to intensive care is 31-45% lower.

However, the weakening of the protection of the third booster vaccine becomes noticeable (15-25% lower compared to the "delta") already after 10 weeks. So far, the best combination seems to be a cocktail of mRNA vaccines - Moderna revaccination after two doses of Pfizer, whose effectiveness remains at the level of 70-75%. Common combinations - AstraZeneca plus one of the mRNA vaccines and three injections of Pfizer - provide weaker preliminary protection against "omicron".

According to the FT, the need for a fourth dose of the vaccine is being discussed at government expert level in the UK. It is already recommended in Israel for risk groups.

• The study is relatively small - 132 people. But it complements other studies that have also found that omicron is less likely to be hospitalized when it is more contagious. In particular, the work of King's College London on a larger sample showed that the likelihood of hospitalization with the omicron strain is halved.
• Decreased fears about "omicron" was the main factor in the growth of quotations in the Christmas week (Friday, December 24 is a day off in the US markets). It closed with a record for the S&P 500 - in four days the index rose by 2.3%.