Clinical outcomes associated with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant and BA.1/BA.1.1 or BA.2 subvariant infection in Southern California

Comparison of outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron infections shows reduced severity of Omicron infections, most notably in unvaccinated individuals, and no differential risk of severe outcomes between subvariants BA.1 and BA.2. The findings highlight the importance of continual assessment of clinical outcomes associated with SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern to inform both medical interventions and healthcare resource management. Epidemiologic surveillance has revealed decoupling of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) hospitalizations and deaths from case counts after emergence of the Omicron (B.1.1.529) severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variant globally. However, assessment of the relative severity of Omicron variant infections presents challenges because of differential acquired immune protection against Omicron and prior variants and because longer-term changes have occurred in testing and healthcare practices. Here we show that Omicron variant infections were associated with substantially reduced risk of progression to severe clinical outcomes relative to time-matched Delta (B.1.617.2) variant infections within a large, integrated healthcare system in Southern California. Adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) for any hospital admission, symptomatic hospital admission, intensive care unit admission, mechanical ventilation and death comparing individuals with Omicron versus Delta variant infection were 0.59 (95% confidence interval: 0.51-0.69), 0.59 (0.51-0.68), 0.50 (0.29-0.87), 0.36 (0.18-0.72) and 0.21 (0.10-0.44), respectively. This reduced severity could not be explained by differential history of prior infection among individuals with Omicron or Delta variant infection and was starkest among individuals not previously vaccinated against COVID-19 (aHR = 0.40 (0.33-0.49) for any hospital admission and 0.14 (0.07-0.28) for death). Infections with the Omicron BA.2 subvariant were not associated with differential risk of severe outcomes in comparison to BA.1/BA.1.1 subvariant infections. Lower risk of severe clinical outcomes among individuals with Omicron variant infection should inform public health response amid establishment of the Omicron variant as the dominant SARS-CoV-2 lineage globally.

Automated summary

Comparison of outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron infections reveals reduced severity of Omicron infections, especially in unvaccinated individuals. There is no differential risk of severe outcomes between subvariants BA.1 and BA.2. Continual assessment of clinical outcomes associated with SARS-CoV-2 variants is crucial for medical interventions and healthcare resource management.