Relative to flu patients, those infected with Omicron BA.5 had higher rates of vasopressor use, renal replacement therapy, and in-hospital death.
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Most critically ill children were unvaccinated or hadn’t completed their primary series.
Flu and COVID indicators continued upward trends, with different regions reporting the most intensive activity.
Long-term brain-related complications may be more tied to overall illness severity and hospitalization than specific cause, the authors said.
Researchers looked at blood levels of serum inflammatory proteins (cytokines), antibodies, and brain (neuroglial) injury proteins.
Emergency department visits for COVID were highest in infants and older adults.
Over the course of the study, most participants were eligible for antiviral use.
The researchers say healthcare providers, public health officials must encourage vaccination, especially for those at highest risk.
While antiviral drugs are widely available, the researchers say they are underused, perhaps because patients fear viral rebound after treatment.
Most exposures were short, but transmission usually resulted from exposures of 1 hour to several days.