CDC: Risk of death from COVID-19 at lowest level since start of the pandemic

The risk of death among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 has reached its lowest level since the start of the pandemic.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its morbidity and mortality report dated Sept. 16 which showed during April through June 2022, the risk of death was reduced for nearly all patient groups, including those at highest risk for severe illness.

People aged 65 and older, people with disabilities and people with three or more underlying health conditions were still at the highest risk of in-hospital death from COVID-19, the report noted.

The CDC said that vaccination and early treatment with medications protect those at highest risk against severe illness from COVID-19.

The report also said: “The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants is more infectious but has been associated with less severe disease.”

In-hospital deaths among those hospitalized primarily for COVID-19 decreased from 15.1 percent (Delta period) to 4.9 percent (Omicron period, April-June 2022).

According to the report, several factors likely contributed to these favorable outcomes during the Omicron period including:

• higher levels of vaccine- and infection-induced immunity
• advances in early treatment for patients at risk for severe disease
• lower pathogenicity of Omicron subvariants
• COVID-19 primary series and booster vaccination coverage was higher during the Omicron period than during the Delta period

Hospitalizations not primarily for COVID-19 were excluded from this study.

To read the full report, click here.