Omicron affecting DC worse than previous variants??

[UndertheCedartree]

Has anyone else found that Omicron seems to be hitting DC worse than previous types?

@Blubells I think the proportions are similar to all age stats, ie about a third are not admitted FOR covid. So in that third will be some who test positive on admission, and whose presenting condition will perhaps be exacerbated by having covid, and some who contract covid in hospital (ditto).

No, very mild. How do you know is omicron?

"As per my previous post, there are a lot of babies (as was mine) being admitted as a precautionary principle. It’s not about parental anxiety, it’s standard medical practice not to take chances with a fever in tiny babies in case it’s something really nasty like bacterial meningitis.
As I said I have just been on a ward with many infant Covid admissions, none were particularly sick and all were discharged very quickly once more serious conditions had been ruled out.
Yes more young children and babies are catching Covid these days- the new strands are more infectious. Children are experiencing standard viral symptoms, like fever and vomiting, and recovering quickly and well. It remains vanishingly rare for a small child to become seriously unwell with Covid. The “admissions” statistics are misleading people if they are being taken as an indecision of serious childhood illness caused by covid"

I get your point and it's reassuring to hear that the babies with covid made a speedy recovery, but that's still a ward full of little ones in hospital that would not have been there if it wasn't for covid. If enough kids need 24hr observation at the same time, something will have to give elsewhere and other children in need of treatment will have to wait.

@containsnuts

"As per my previous post, there are a lot of babies (as was mine) being admitted as a precautionary principle. It’s not about parental anxiety, it’s standard medical practice not to take chances with a fever in tiny babies in case it’s something really nasty like bacterial meningitis. As I said I have just been on a ward with many infant Covid admissions, none were particularly sick and all were discharged very quickly once more serious conditions had been ruled out. Yes more young children and babies are catching Covid these days- the new strands are more infectious. Children are experiencing standard viral symptoms, like fever and vomiting, and recovering quickly and well. It remains vanishingly rare for a small child to become seriously unwell with Covid. The “admissions” statistics are misleading people if they are being taken as an indecision of serious childhood illness caused by covid"

I get your point and it's reassuring to hear that the babies with covid made a speedy recovery, but that's still a ward full of little ones in hospital that would not have been there if it wasn't for covid. If enough kids need 24hr observation at the same time, something will have to give elsewhere and other children in need of treatment will have to wait.

Tbh this paediatric ward was actually pretty empty. Total occupancy in London is not particularly high currently and has actually fallen by about 13% in the last 7 days. Incidentally It is an interesting feature of this pandemic that when Covid rates are high, rates of other viruses seem to fall- eg flu. The paediatric ward went crazy busy around the spring when Covid rates dropped significantly and all the other viruses that had been dormant over the winter “came out to play” in the words of one dr I was chatting with.

I know 4 kids who presumably have had Omicron as in London. They are my nieces & nephews ranging from 9 months old to 8 years old. Two of those it was their second infection (aged 8 & 4). The 8 year old had a day of feeling very tired, he apparently just flopped on the sofa on his switch. Wasn’t hungry. Vomited once. Otherwise fine. First time round was a lot worse for him. He had huge fevers back in Dec 2020 & was really under the weather for a good week. His parents were really worried. This time they said bar the vomit, they’d have barely noticed.

The 4 year old was asymptomatic both times. And the 3 year old & 9 month old on their first go of covid had heavy cold like symptoms this time. 9 month old had horribly sore eyes poor thing!

We know that omicron is generally milder in those vaccinated.

About half of 12-15 year olds have had one dose. A very few have had two.

Most younger than that have had none.

So that for a start means it can hit DC harder.