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. 2022 May;52(3):160-164.
doi: 10.1016/j.idnow.2022.02.003. Epub 2022 Feb 12.

First cases of Omicron in France are exhibiting mild symptoms, November 2021-January 2022

A Maisa  1 , G Spaccaferri  2 , L Fournier  3 , J Schaeffer  4 , J Deniau  5 , P Rolland  6 , B Coignard  7 ; regional COVID-19 investigation team; EMERGEN consortium
Collaborators, Affiliations

First cases of Omicron in France are exhibiting mild symptoms, November 2021-January 2022

A Maisa et al. Infect Dis Now. 2022 May.

Abstract

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the first Omicron cases detected in France in order to assess case characteristics and provide supporting information on the possible impact of this variant on the healthcare system.

Methods: A standardized questionnaire was used to collect information from confirmed and probable Omicron cases.

Results: Median age of 468 investigated cases was 35 years, 376 were symptomatic (89%); 64% were vaccinated with two doses and 7% had received three doses. Loss of smell and taste were reported by 8.3% and 9% of cases, respectively. Seven cases were hospitalized, three of those were unvaccinated (including two with reported precondition). No admissions to intensive care and no deaths were reported.

Conclusions: Our results confirm a mild clinical presentation among the first Omicron cases detected in France and highlight the importance for the national COVID-19 surveillance system to quickly detect and adapt to the emergence of a new variant.

Keywords: COVID-19; Epidemiology; SARS-CoV-2; Signs and symptoms; Surveys and questionnaires.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Number of investigated Omicron cases and screening results for suspected Delta and Omicron. Lines indicate the proportion of RT-qPCR screening test results corresponding to suspected Delta (blue line, detection of the mutation L452R) and Omicron (green line, absence of the mutations E484K and L452R) variants, over time (7-day moving average). Dots indicate the number of investigated cases by sampling (yellow dots) and reporting date (red dots).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Proportion of symptoms reported by symptomatic cases (n = 277). Multiple symptoms could be reported by one case. Number of cases exhibiting a symptom are given beside the bars.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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