Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36934872›Full record

SynthesisClinical microbiology and infection : the official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases2023

Clinical outcomes of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 Omicron and Delta variant: systematic review and meta-analysis of 33 studies covering 6 037 144 coronavirus disease 2019-positive patients.

Fei-Hong Hu, Yi-Jie Jia, Dan-Yan Zhao, Xue-Lei Fu, Wan-Qing Zhang, Wen Tang, Shi-Qi Hu, Hua Wu, Meng-Wei Ge, Wei Du and 3 more

Open access · bronzeAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Clinical microbiology and infection : the official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 64 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
64citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
16.3field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

64 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 84 citations in OpenAlex.

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  19. In-hospital mortality among children and adults hospitalized with COVID-19 in Africa across pre-delta, delta, and omicron SARS-CoV-2 waves.International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases · 2025
    Article
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4 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Fei-Hong HuMedical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China.
Yi-Jie JiaMedical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China.
Dan-Yan ZhaoMedical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China.
Xue-Lei FuMedical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China.
Wan-Qing ZhangMedical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China.
Wen TangMedical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China.
Shi-Qi HuMedical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China.
Hua WuMedical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China.
Meng-Wei GeMedical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China.
Wei DuMedical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China.
Wang-Qin ShenMedical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China.
Bin ZhuDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, China; Nantong First People's Hospital, Nantong, China.
Hong-Lin ChenSchool of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong, China. Electronic address: honglinyjs@126.com.
Nantong University · CNAffiliated Hospital of Nantong University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAlthough the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant is considered to induce less severe disease, there have been no consistent results on the extent of the decrease in severity.

objectivesTo compare the clinical outcomes of COVID-19-positive patients with Omicron and Delta variant infection. DATA SOURCES: Searches were implemented up to 8 November 2022 in PubMed, Web of Science, BioRvix, and MedRvix. STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Eligible studies were cohort studies reporting the clinical outcomes of COVID-19-positive patients with Omicron and Delta variant infection, including hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, receiving invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), and death.

participantsCOVID-19-positive patients with Omicron and Delta variant infection. ASSESSMENT OF RISK OF BIAS: Risk of bias was assessed employing the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. METHODS OF DATA SYNTHESIS: Random-effect models were employed to pool the ORs and 95% CIs to compare the risk of clinical outcome. I

resultsA total of 33 studies with 6 037 144 COVID-19-positive patients were included in this meta-analysis. In the general population of COVID-19-positive patients, compared with Delta, Omicron variant infection resulted in a decreased risk of hospitalization (10.24% vs. 4.14%, OR = 2.91, 95% CI = 2.35-3.60), ICU admission (3.67% vs. 0.48%, OR = 3.64, 95% CI = 2.63-5.04), receiving IMV (3.93% vs. 0.34%, OR = 3.11, 95% CI = 1.76-5.50), and death (2.40% vs. 0.46%, OR = 2.97, 95% CI = 2.17-4.08). In the hospitalized patients with COVID-19, compared with Delta, Omicron variant infection resulted in a decreased risk of ICU admission (20.70% vs. 12.90%, OR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.32-2.02), receiving IMV (10.90% vs. 5.80%, OR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.28-2.14), and death (10.72% vs. 7.10%, OR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.22-1.71).

conclusionsCompared with Delta, the severity of Omicron variant infection decreased.

Indexed as

COVID-19SARS-CoV-2HospitalizationHumansIntensive Care UnitsDeltaHospitalizationMeta-analysisOmicronSARS-CoV-2

Identifiers

PMID36934872
PMCPMC10023211
OpenAlexW4327719964

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.