The risk of mortality and severe illness in patients infected with the omicron variant relative to delta variant of SARS-CoV-2: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

We summarized through systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies the risk of mortality as well as severe illness of COVID-19 caused by omicron variant relative to delta variant of SARS-CoV-2. A total of twelve studies were included. Our results showed significantly reduced odds of mortality (pooled OR = 0.33; 95% CI: 0.16-0.67) and significantly reduced odds of severe illness (pooled OR = 0.24; 95% CI: 0.21-0.28) in patients infected with the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 relative to their counterparts infected with the delta variant. Findings of lower disease severity following infection with the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 than the delta variant are encouraging during the ongoing transition from the pandemic phase into the endemic phase of COVID-19.

Insulin Treatment May Not Be Associated with Increased Mortality in Patients with COVID-19 and Concurrent Diabetes.

Previous study reported that preadmission insulin treatment in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and concurrent diabetes was associated with a significantly increased odds of mortality. However, such association may be modified by possible baseline differences in glycemic control between insulin users and non-insulin users. Misinterpretation of the association between insulin treatment and mortality could lead to confusion in clinical practice and hospitalized patients with COVID-19 for whom insulin treatment is appropriately indicated may be omitted from such treatment. However, requirement for insulin during hospitalization for COVID-19 may be a marker of poor prognosis and as such could be used to identify patient population who require more aggressive treatments to prevent mortality.