Omicron causes less severe disease, studies from Scotland, England suggest

Two studies from Scotland and England analyzing rates of hospital treatment for those infected with Omicron suggest the coronavirus variant may cause less severe disease than previous variants, although scientists caution more research is needed.

Early data from Scotland indicates that there is a two-thirds reduction in hospitalization of double vaccinated young adults, compared with the Delta variant. In addition, data from England signals that Omicron infection is associated with a 15 to 20 percent reduced risk in requiring any hospital treatment, compared with Delta.

However, Neil Ferguson, director of...