Germany: Preparing for Omicron's "mass wave"
Germany must prepare for a "mass wave" of the Omicron variant, according to experts. Vaccines and previous illness help reduce Omicron infection, says South Africa
The Germany , which is already affected by a significant increase in cases of coronavirus , has to prepare for a new "massive wave" associated with the rapid spread of Omikron variant , said Friday Health Minister and former professor of epidemiology Karl Laoutermpach.
"We have to prepare for a challenge that we have not yet encountered in this form; even a slightly milder development (of the disease) will not change things (...)," the minister told during a press conference in Hanover.
South Africa: Vaccines and previous illness help ease Omicron infection
South Africa 's health minister said on Friday that the government believed vaccines and high levels of COVID-19 had helped keep the disease milder in a wave caused by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
There are early unofficial reports that Omicron is causing less serious illness than previous variants in South Africa, but scientists say it is too early to draw firm conclusions.
According to APE-MPE, the country recorded a record number of daily infections earlier this week.
"We believe that it may not necessarily mean that Omicron is less contagious, but .... the vaccination coverage (and) ... the natural immunity of people who have already been exposed to the virus also adds to the protection," he said. Health Minister Joe Faala at a news conference. "That's why we see mild illness."
South Africa has given 44% of its adult population at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, a percentage higher than in many African countries but much lower than the government's end-of-year target. However, over the age of 50, vaccination coverage levels exceed 60%.
Speaking at the same press conference, Michelle Grumm of the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) said there was an upward trend in hospitalizations and deaths.
"We are starting to see a slight increase in deaths nationally, but again this level is much lower even than we saw in the reference period between the second and third wave," said Grumm, who heads the public health department. , NICD surveillance and response.
NICD Public Health Specialist Wassila Jasat estimated that of the COVID-19 hospital-related deaths since mid-November, more than half were people who had comorbidities or were rather elderly, and "a good proportion they were hospitalized for other reasons and died of other causes ".
He said vaccination data for those who died were incomplete, but it emerged from information provided by them that 93% of the deaths were people who had either not been vaccinated or had not been fully vaccinated. He added that another 3.5% of those who had died had been vaccinated more than five or six months earlier.
Faala said the first indications were that the infections may have peaked in the densely populated province of Gauteng, where the first infections occurred.
He added that next week the Ministry of Health will inform the National Board of Directors about the Coronavirus if the restrictions due to COVID-19 need to be adjusted.
President Cyril Ramafoza, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, is making progress in his recovery from COVID-19 and continues to receive treatment for mild symptoms, the presidency said today.
Ramafoza received the Johnson & Johnson monosodium vaccine in February.
