MORTALITY RATE OF OMICRON VARIANT

[Anchor Lead]

The mortality rate and severity of the Omicron variant appears to have both decreased. They are especially low among the fully vaccinated. However, seniors and those who are not immunized are still highly likely to become seriously ill.

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The mortality rate of those infected with the Omicron variant has been found to stand at 0.18 percent. That's nearly double the fatality rate of the seasonal flu, which is 0.1 percent. However, the variant's mortality rate has been found to be steadily declining. In the past two weeks it has fallen to 0.13 percent. Among those who are fully immunized, the rate is even lower than that of the seasonal flu.

[Soundbite] Park Young-jun(Central Disease Control HQs) : "Those who have had three shots have a lower fatality rate than the unvaccinated."

Health authorities say the virus is becoming less deadly because more people are getting their third vaccine dose and more patients now have access to oral antiviral pills. The percentage of those who become seriously ill from the Omicron variant has dropped from 0.42 percent to 0.38 percent in one week. Therefore, the number of seriously ill patients remains stable compared to the surging number of infections. Although the number of cases soared more than 14 times in the third week of February from the third week of January, the number of ICU patients only rose 1.6 times. However, the government stresses the importance of managing elderly patients and the unvaccinated. The fatality rate among patients in their 70s infected with Omicron is 1.1 percent. Among those who are 80 and older it's 4.9 percent, meaning the virus can still be fatal to them.

[Soundbite] Jung Eun-kyeong(KDCA Director) : "It's imperative for seniors to get vaccinated as well as tested and treated early on."

Health authorities are urging unvaccinated elderly people to receive the Novavax vaccine and those in high-risk facilities to get their fourth shot.