In case anyone thinks omicron is milder

[CharonY]

There is recent evidence that combined testing performs better

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/ns-combined-nose-throat-rapid-test-more-accurate-1.6322961

 

[CharonY]

A recent study indicates that omicron seems to have increased rates of hospitalization among unvaccinated children and adolescents. The authors have adjusted for incidental COVID-19 cases and found:

Quote

Consistent with national hospital surveillance data (7), the findings in this report indicate that the Omicron-predominant period had higher rates of pediatric COVID-19 hospitalizations than the Delta-predominant period. No differences were found between the Delta- and Omicron-predominant periods in the proportion of hospitalizations that were likely to be related to COVID-19. Findings suggest that incidental admissions do not account for the increase in hospitalization rates observed during the Omicron period. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, admissions for reasons other than COVID-19 have been recorded (8,9), and during both the Delta- and Omicron-predominant periods, incidental admissions were more likely among fully vaccinated adolescents. Reasons for admission should continue to be monitored as more children and adolescents become fully vaccinated.