A smaller proportion of people infected during the omicron period experienced long COVID-19 symptoms compared to those infected during the time when delta was the dominant strain, according to findings published June 16 in The Lancet.
Researchers from King's College London used data from adult patients in the U.K. who self-reported symptoms to an app. They identified 56,003 adults who tested positive between Dec. 20, 2021, and March 9, when omicron was dominant, as well as 41,361 adults who tested positive between June 1, 2021, and Nov. 27, 2021, delta's dominant period.
During omicron's dominance, 4.5 percent of people reported experiencing new or ongoing symptoms at least one month after the start of their acute illness, compared to nearly 11 percent among those infected with the delta strain.
While the findings suggest omicron poses a lower overall risk for long COVID-19, experts warn the large number of people the variant has infected means there could still be a significant global increase in people experiencing long COVID-19, NBC News reported.