More Omicron cases means more younger residents may see severe outcomes, Guelph's top doc says

The Omicron variant of COVID-19 has confirmed rather more transmissible than earlier strains of the coronavirus — and with that has come extra extreme outcomes for at the very least two of the area’s youthful residents.

In keeping with Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Well being, two younger residents — a woman beneath the age of 10 and a girl aged between 20 and 29, each from Wellington county — have died with the virus up to now week.

Provincial information signifies that 4 folks beneath the age of 40 in Ontario have died with COVID-19 so far in 2022, with 127 for the reason that pandemic started.

Dr. Nicola Mercer, medical officer of well being and CEO of Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Well being, instructed the Mercury Tribune that whereas Omicron is exhibiting to be much less extreme than the Delta variant on a person foundation, the sheer variety of circumstances means there are extra alternatives for it to show deadly, even to the age group seen as most resilient to an infection.

"We do know that, having a look broadly with what we might see with Delta versus Omicron, it’s a couple of third to 1 / 4 as extreme by way of individuals who may find yourself in hospital; however when you've got way more individuals who get sick, then the numbers seem larger,” she mentioned.

Mercer added that, based mostly on what the well being unit has seen and what has been seen extra broadly, “the older you're, the extra doubtless you're to have a extreme illness, hospitalization or loss of life, and particularly in case you are older and you've got chosen to not be vaccinated or haven't had your booster dose."

“Youthful persons are undoubtedly much less more likely to have extreme outcomes, however that doesn’t imply it by no means happens,” she mentioned.

Previous to the previous week, not one of the 130 different folks within the well being unit’s jurisdiction who had died with COVID-19 had been beneath the age of fifty.