"Omicron Severe and Fatality Rates Are Low, But Rising Cases Spread Anxiety Among Elderly"

25 of 39 Deaths Are Aged 80 and Above
More Than Half of Cumulative Deaths Are in This Age Group

On the 16th, when 90,443 new COVID-19 cases were reported, citizens visiting the screening clinic set up at Songpa-gu Public Health Center in Seoul were waiting to get tested. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Although the severity and fatality rates of the COVID-19 Omicron variant are only about one-third of those of the Delta variant, the rapid increase in confirmed cases has also led to a significant rise in infections among high-risk groups, particularly the elderly aged 60 and above. This is especially concerning as the elderly account for the majority of COVID-19 deaths.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters on the 16th, as of midnight that day, there were 39 deaths reported, of which 64.10% (25 people) were aged 80 and above. This was followed by 7 people in their 70s (ages 70-79), 3 people each in their 60s and 50s, and 1 person in their 40s.

Since COVID-19 was first identified on January 20, 2020, among the total cumulative deaths (7,202), those aged 80 and above accounted for 3,618, representing 50.24% of the total. Those in their 70s made up 27.15% (1,955 people), followed by those in their 60s at 15.50% (1,116 people). Among all COVID-19 deaths to date, there have been 3 deaths under the age of 10, 1 in the teens, and 14 in their 20s. Accordingly, the cumulative fatality rate across all age groups is 0.46%, but it rises to 0.74% for those in their 60s, 3.15% for those in their 70s, and 9.76% for those aged 80 and above.

The authorities stated that the recent decision to designate the fourth dose of the vaccine for “residents and workers of nursing hospitals and facilities, immunocompromised individuals, etc.” was also aimed at preventing severe illness and death among these high-risk groups as Omicron became the dominant strain.

Earlier, from February 6 to 12, the second week of February variant virus analysis showed an increase of 8,864 confirmed Omicron cases compared to the previous week, bringing the cumulative total to 31,567. During this period, the proportion of Omicron variant detections in variant analyses was 96.9%, up 4.8 percentage points from 92.1% in the first week of February. Previously, Omicron became the dominant strain at 50.3% in the third week of January and surged to 80% in the fourth week of January.

Regarding deaths caused by the Omicron variant, as of midnight on the 12th, there were 40 confirmed deaths, with the highest number being 29 among those aged 80 and above. This was followed by 7 people in their 70s, 2 in their 60s, and 1 each in their 50s and teens. Among the 85 critically ill patients, 44 were aged 80 and above, 20 were in their 70s, and 8 were in their 60s, making a total of 72 elderly patients aged 60 and above. The rest included 2 in their 50s, 5 in their 40s, 3 in their 30s, 2 in their teens, and 1 under the age of 9.

The health authorities explained, “Although the severity rate of the Omicron variant is relatively low and many elderly individuals have completed their third vaccination dose, the overall increase in confirmed cases means that the number of severe and fatal cases is likely to rise in the future.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.