The Omicron Paradox: Milder but at the Same Time More Deadly?

Both anecdotal and research-based evidence has indicated that the Omicron variant of COVID-19, while more transmissible, is less likely to lead to hospitalization and death. As time goes on and real-world data accumulate, though, it appears the picture is more complicated. An article published in The Washington Post notes that the number of daily deaths has risen to a level higher than it was last spring when the Delta variant dominated. The hardest-hit populations have been those over 75 years of age and the unvaccinated. The moral of the story for urgent care providers is to keep encouraging patients to become fully vaccinated—meaning the full dosage schedule of one- or two-dose vaccine plus a booster.