South African CDC Told BBC Radio

[progree]

1. I was surprised to read that in yesterday's "Covid in Minnesota" report

https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2021/12/23/covid-in-minnesota-52-deaths-3378-new-cases-reported-ahead-of-christmas-holiday/

Preliminary studies from the United Kingdom and South Africa suggest that people infected with Omicron have a lower risk of severe illness and hospitalization than those infected with Delta. The studies show that those diagnosed with Omicron were 80% less likely to be hospitalized than those with other variants, but once in the hospital, the South African study found patients were just as likely to develop severe disease no matter which variant they were diagnosed with.

emphasis added by Progree

Because I had seen so many reports from South Africa about how so few Omicron Covid patients needed supplemental oxygen or ICU, compared to Covid patients earlier in the delta and preceding eras.

But anyway, good to hear the "80% less likely to be hospitalized".