Thread by @TorontoStar

Analysis of death figures by researchers at the University of Toronto provided to the Star shows that since mid-December 2021, Omicron has been more deadly for Ontarians age 60 and over than the previous two waves combined.

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And while Omicron may present milder symptoms than previous variants at an individual level, the number of COVID deaths among Ontario seniors since Omicron became dominant—more than 3,700—challenges the narrative that the worst of the pandemic was over.

thestar.com/news/gta/2022/…

When enough people get infected … we get a large number of people who get hospitalized, and who might die,” says Dr. Sharmistha Mishra, an infectious disease physician and mathematical modeller at Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital.

thestar.com/news/gta/2022/…

Mishra, whose team conducted the analysis for the Star, called the findings “stark.”

In Wave 5, after Omicron emerged as the dominant variant, the peak in the rate of deaths in those 60 and older was 12 times higher than in last summer’s Delta wave.

thestar.com/news/gta/2022/…

Even during Ontario’s most recent Omicron wave which began in late March — just as the province began to lift mask mandates — the peak death rate was three times higher than that of last summer’s Delta wave.

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