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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.

Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

FACT BRIEF

Has the omicron variant caused any fatalities?

Monday, January 10, 2022

By Lisa Freedland

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YES

Despite surging infection numbers around the globe, only a few countries so far have reported fatalities clearly attributable to the omicron variant of the coronavirus. The group includes the U.S., the U.K., Israel, India, South Africa and Australia. Most of the deceased either had other underlying health conditions or were unvaccinated, as was the case with the single confirmed U.S. fatality.

Despite being highly contagious, research suggests that omicron is leading to fewer hospitalizations and deaths than earlier variants of the virus. A study from South Africa found that fewer individuals infected with omicron required hospitalization, and that those who did experienced milder symptoms, required less supplementary oxygen and had shorter stays than patients in previous waves.

Another South African study has calculated the death rate for omicron to be 2.7%, far lower than wave one's 19.7% or Delta's 29.1%.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

Reuters Fact Check-Omicron does not have a 100% survival rate, as posts online claim

BBC Covid-19: India records first death linked to Omicron variant

Reuters Australia records first Omicron death, authorities stick to reopening plan

CNET 'All indications' suggest omicron's milder than delta, Fauci says, but don't get complacent

SSRN Clinical Severity of COVID-19 Patients Admitted to Hospitals in Gauteng, South Africa During the Omicron-Dominant Fourth Wave

JAMA Network Characteristics and Outcomes of Hospitalized Patients in South Africa During the COVID-19 Omicron Wave Compared With Previous Waves

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Gigafact

Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

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About fact briefs published on Gigafact

Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.