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A new study from Case Western Reserve University shows that omicron cases in children younger than 5 years old have been less severe than delta variant COVID-19 cases in the same age range.
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The large-scale study, which is set to release to preprint this week, indicates significant reductions in health outcomes. Among the findings were a 29% reduced risk of emergency room visits to a 71% reduced risk of mechanical ventilation in children under the age of five who contracted the omicron variant compared to the delta variant.
The study comes as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations associated with the Omicron variant have surged nationwide. The age range of Case Western's study is notable, as children under 5 years old are not currently eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Case Western's study was performed by researchers who examined the electronic health records of more than 79,000 children including more than 7,000 who were infected when Omicron emerged and more than 63,000 infected when Delta was prevalent. The study, which is titled "COVID infection severity in children under 5 years old before and after Omicron emergence in the US" can be viewed below:
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