Omicron caused more deaths than Delta in US: Report

The Omicron wave is breaking, but deaths in the United States have overtaken those from the Delta wave, according to The Seattle Times.

According to the newspaper, since November 24 last year, when South Africa first reported the Omicron form to the World Health Organization, the US has confirmed more than 30,163,600 new infections and 154,750 new deaths.

In comparison, the government reported 10,917,590 new infections with 132,616 new deaths from August 1 to October 31 in 2021, a similar period covering the worst of the Delta surge in the United States, according to the report.

The death toll during the Omicron wave is about 17 per cent higher than that in the equivalent-length Delta period.

The death toll underscored “the country’s continuing vulnerability,” the report said, adding “when the number of infections is as astronomical as 30 million, even a tiny death rate will mean a catastrophic death count.”