It is reported that 90 percent of all new infections in the Johannesburg region are now caused by the Omicron strain but, so far, the COVID death rate and even hospital admissions appear not to be increasing significantly, local media report.<\/p>\n
Hospitals and GPs across Southern Africa are frequently reporting that the symptoms of the aggressive new COVID strain Omicron are \u201cunusual but very mild,\u201d according to various media in South Africa this weekend.<\/p>\n
There are hundreds of Omicron infected people across Southern Africa who complain of nausea, headaches, fatigue, and a high pulse rate, but none seem to suffer from a loss of taste or smell, which has been the case with most other COVID mutations.<\/p>\n
Experts anticipate that if Omicron turns out to be less lethal but more contagious and dominant than the Delta variant \u2013 the new mutation may actually be a blessing in disguise.<\/p>\n
Also, the positive news is that the Omicron variant appears to be a very mild mutation with COVID death rates not rising.<\/p>\n
Dr. Angelique Coetzee told various newspapers in South Africa: \u201cSymptoms are so different and so mild from [non-Omicron] COVID patients I have treated before.\u201d<\/p>\n
The WHO advised that preliminary indications imply the variant has an increased risk of reinfection and may spread more rapidly than other strains, including Delta.<\/p>\n
They said there is early evidence to suggest Omicron has an \u201cincreased risk of reinfection\u201d and its rapid spread in South Africa suggests it has a \u201cgrowth advantage\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is extremely important we need to closely monitor the clinical data of Omicron patients in South Africa and worldwide,\u201d Van Ranst stressed.<\/p>\n
The variant has more than 30 mutations \u2013 around twice as many as the Delta variant \u2013 which makes it more transmissible and evades the protection given by prior infection or vaccination.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, officials in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia, Czech Republic, Italy as well as the UK have confirmed the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus has appeared in their respective countries, leaving governments around the world pushing to stop the spread.<\/p>\n
Nearly two years since the start of the pandemic that has claimed more than 5 million lives around the world, countries are on high alert.<\/p>\n
In the Netherlands, 61 people on two flights from Cape Town to South Africa tested positive for Covid upon arrival in Amsterdam.<\/p>\n
Also, Omicron may not infect children in India the way<\/a> it is infecting South African children, Says INSACOG Member<\/p>\n