Clinical Characteristics of 40 Patients Infected With the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant in Korea

• Published in: Journal of Korean medical science Vol. 37; no. 3; p. e31
• Main Authors: Kim, Min-Kyung, Lee, Bora, Choi, Youn Young, Um, Jihye, Lee, Kyung-Shin, Sung, Ho Kyung, Kim, Yeonjae, Park, Jun-Sun, Lee, Myungsun, Jang, Hee-Chang, Bang, Ji Hwan, Chung, Ki-Hyun, Jeon, Jaehyun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences 17-01-2022; 대한의학회
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Brief Communication; COVID-19 - diagnosis; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - pathology; Diagnostic Tests, Routine; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Republic of Korea - epidemiology; SARS-CoV-2 - genetics; SARS-CoV-2 - isolation & purification; Severity of Illness Index; Travel; Travel-Related Illness; Young Adult; 의학일반; Republic of Korea; COVID-19; B.1.1.529 SARS-CoV-2 Variant; Republic of Korea; Cohort Studies
• ISSN: 1011-8934; 1598-6357
• DOI: 10.3346/JKMS.2022.37.E31

Since severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 variant B.1.1.529 (omicron) was first reported to the World Health Organization on November 24, 2021, the cases of the omicron variant have been detected in more than 90 countries over the last month. We investigated the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the first 40 patients with the omicron variant who had been isolated at the National Medical Center in South Korea during December 4-17, 2021. The median age of the patients was 39.5 years. Twenty-two patients (55%) were women. Seventeen patients (42.5%) were fully vaccinated, and none were reinfected with the omicron. Eighteen (45%) had recent international travel history. Half of the patients (19, 47.5%) were asymptomatic, while the others had mild symptoms. Six patients (15%) showed lung infiltrations on chest image; however, none required supplemental oxygen. These mild clinical features are consistent with recent case reports on the omicron variant from other countries.