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Letter to the Editor|Articles in Press

Significantly lower infection fatality rates associated with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) infection in children and young people: Active, prospective national surveillance, January-March 2022, England

  • Erjola Hani
    Affiliations
    Immunisation and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Division, UK Health Security Agency, London, United Kingdom
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  • Marta Bertran
    Affiliations
    Immunisation and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Division, UK Health Security Agency, London, United Kingdom
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  • Annabel Powell
    Affiliations
    Immunisation and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Division, UK Health Security Agency, London, United Kingdom
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  • Hannah Williams
    Affiliations
    Joint Modelling Team (JMT), UK Health Security Agency, UK

    Emergency Preparedness, Response and Resilience, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, SP4 0JG, UK
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  • Paul Birrell
    Affiliations
    Joint Modelling Team (JMT), UK Health Security Agency, UK

    MRC Biostatistics Unit, University of Cambridge, School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge Institute of Public Health, Cambridge, United Kingdom

    Statistical Modelling and Economics, UK Health Security Agency, Colindale, United Kingdom
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  • Daniela DeAngelis
    Affiliations
    MRC Biostatistics Unit, University of Cambridge, School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge Institute of Public Health, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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  • Mary E Ramsay
    Affiliations
    Immunisation and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Division, UK Health Security Agency, London, United Kingdom
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  • Author Footnotes
    1 Joint senior authors.
    Godwin Oligbu
    Footnotes
    1 Joint senior authors.
    Affiliations
    Immunisation and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Division, UK Health Security Agency, London, United Kingdom

    Paediatric Infectious Diseases Research Group, St George's University of London, London, United Kingdom
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  • Author Footnotes
    1 Joint senior authors.
    Shamez N Ladhani
    Correspondence
    Corresponding author at: 61 Colindale Ave, London NW9 5EQ.
    Footnotes
    1 Joint senior authors.
    Affiliations
    Immunisation and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Division, UK Health Security Agency, London, United Kingdom

    Paediatric Infectious Diseases Research Group, St George's University of London, London, United Kingdom
    Search for articles by this author
  • Author Footnotes
    1 Joint senior authors.
Published:January 23, 2023DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinf.2023.01.032

      Highlights

      • Children and young people (CYP) have a low risk of severe or fatal COVID-19.
      • The Omicron wave since late 2021 was associated with very low infection rates in CYP.
      • The infection fatality rate following Omicron infection was 2 per million infections.
      • Infection fatality rate was 7-fold lower with Omicron than the first pandemic wave.
      • Most deaths occurred in CYP with severe comorbidities, especially neurodisabilities.
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