
An observational study comparing the severity of COVID-19 and influenza among nearly 6 million Denmark residents finds a higher rate of hospitalizations and deaths in those infected with SARS-CoV-2—mainly among unvaccinated people, those with chronic conditions, and males—from 2022 to 2024.
Researchers from the Statens Serum Institut and the University of Copenhagen analyzed national registry data on COVID-19 and flu hospitalizations and deaths, vaccination status, and sociodemographic factors from May 2022 to June 2024.
The results, published yesterday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, align with those of a large Veterans Affairs (VA) study published this week in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Unvaccinated most at risk
Among 5.9 million people in the new study, COVID-19 hospitalization was twice as likely than flu hospitalization (24,400 vs 8,385; adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR], 2.04), especially in the first year of the study, in the summer, and among those aged 65 years or older. The death rate was three times higher for COVID-19 (2,361 vs 489; aIRR, 3.19).