The early data had shown the omicron to be much steeper than the delta first wave.
COVID-19: Emerging picture from South Africa suggests Omicron variant could be real cause for concern
New data shows that the Omicron wave is much steeper than the Delta wave that hit South Africa - and hospitalisations are now rising in Gauteng province.
by Tom Clarke, Science and technology editor @aTomClarke
Thursday 2 December 2021 13:08, UK
The variant was first detected in South Africa
Image:
The variant was first detected in South Africa
Don't be distracted by headlines saying the Omicron variant might be less deadly than Delta. More worrying pictures are starting to emerge from South Africa.
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However … and at odds with above … but also sky
COVID-19: South Africa doctors see 'skyrocketing' cases in vaccinated and unvaccinated but symptoms 'mild' in Omicron hotspot
GPs confirm the observations of World Health Organisation officials that, so far, the new variant of COVID-19 presents mainly mild symptoms but say it is too early to know if the virus will not be more severe in its later stages.
By Philip Whiteside, international news reporter, and Mukelwa Hlatshwayo, Africa producer
Thursday 2 December 2021 20:43, UK
People queue to be vaccinated against COVID-19 at a hospital near Johannesburg, in the Omicron hotspot of Gauteng province, South Africa. Pic: AP
Image:
People queue to be vaccinated against COVID-19 at a hospital near Johannesburg, in the Omicron hotspot of Gauteng province. Pic: AP
Doctors treating people in the region of South Africa where Omicron is surging have told Sky News they have seen a rise in the number of patients being reinfected and vaccinated patients catching COVID-19.
Rates in the Gauteng region, particularly around Pretoria, have rocketed in the last few weeks as the Omicron variant has started to replace Delta nationwide.
But the GPs Sky spoke to confirmed reports from the World Health Organisation that in most cases, so far, those affected by South Africa's fourth wave of COVID are presenting "mild" symptoms, rather than severe ones.
Dr Sheri Fanaroff, a GP at a private practice and founder of the Gauteng GPs Collective, said: "What we are seeing are a lot of patients getting infected again, both vaccinated and unvaccinated patients.
So far, the infections we are seeing are very mild. I am not aware of any patients with severe illness at the moment," said the doctor, whose patients are "mostly all vaccinated".
"I am sure there are some but on the ground, at the moment, people are presenting… with sore throats, coughing with fevers, with body pain… viral type of symptoms," she added.
"It is still too early to make an assumption because with other strains we saw… more severe illness [occurs] in the second or third week.
"I have an 80-year-old with underlying cardiac disease, he is not well generally. He is on day seven of COVID and doing quite well. All my elderly patients have something… so far they are mild which is the same as what I am hearing from other GPs on the ground in Johannesburg."
Her observations were echoed by Dr Bhadrashil Modi, another GP, whose practice is in downtown Johannesburg, another city in Gauteng.
He told Sky News: "There has been an increase week on week.
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