Omicron becomes dominant in South Africa in just one WEEK

Omicron becomes dominant in South Africa in just one WEEK
Omicron becomes dominant in South Africa in just one WEEK
The super-mutant Omicron variant has outpaced Delta to become the dominant strain in South Africa in just a week, it was revealed today after infections soared a quarter in the days after its discovery. 

A public health official based in Johannesburg revealed that the highly evolved virus was now behind 75 per cent of cases nationally just eight days after South Africa first raised the alarm about the strain on November 24.

Professor Anne von Gottberg, a clinical microbiologist at South Africa's national health agency, told an emergency World Health Organization conference today it 'does look like there is a predominance of Omicron throughout the country'. 

There have only been 183 confirmed cases of the strain because only a handful of positive samples are analysed for variants. South Africa is currently recording 8,561 cases per day, which have soared 17-fold (1,413 per cent) in a fortnight from 566.

Meanwhile, hospitalisations have more than doubled in the last two weeks, from an average of 86 per day to 184. Despite reports that the strain causes mild illness, the virus was initially circulating among young people, who are not usually hospitalised with the virus.

Five of the country's nine provinces have confirmed Omicron cases and officials expect its prevalence to be high in the remaining four areas where positive samples have not yet been sequenced.  

Professor von Gottberg said scientists are worried about the number of Omicron cases that are being spotted among people who have previously had Covid, compared to the reinfection rate during the Beta and Delta-fuelled waves.

But she said the virus may be no more transmissible than Delta, the illness it causes is thought to be 'less severe' and vaccines should protect against illness.

The variant has been spotted in 28 countries worldwide and is likely to have been spreading for weeks before South Africa raised the alarm. The Netherlands detected a case one week earlier, while Nigeria found its first case in a sample taken in October. 

It was even in the UK before it was first spotted by scientists last week, with nine cases in Scotland on November 20, causing speculation the strain was imported from the COP 26 climate conference or a rugby game at Murrayfield Stadium against South Africa. 

Professor Anne von Gottberg, a clinical microbiologist at South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), said it 'does look like there is a predominance of Omicron throughout the country'

Data from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) shows 8,561 people in South Africa tested positive in the last 24 hours — increasing six-fold in a week and nearly doubling on yesterday's number — equating to a positivity rate of 16.5 per cent. South Africa has recorded 2.9million cases since the beginning of the pandemic. Meanwhile, Covid deaths have increased from 22 last Wednesday to 28 today, marking a 27 per cent rise. The vast majority of cases are concentrated in Gauteng, the epicentre of the outbreak, in the north east

Data from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) shows 8,561 people in South Africa tested positive in the last 24 hours — increasing six-fold in a week and nearly doubling on yesterday's number — equating to a positivity rate of 16.5 per cent. South Africa has recorded 2.9million cases since the beginning of the pandemic. Meanwhile, Covid deaths have increased from 22 last Wednesday to 28 today, marking a 27 per cent rise. The vast majority of cases are concentrated in Gauteng, the epicentre of the outbreak, in the north east

The graph shows the number of Covid-infected people hospitalised in South Africa each week. Last week, 1,027 people were admitted to public and private hospitals, equating to an average of 146 people per day. Some 552 people have been hospitalised with the virus in the first three days of this week, equating to 184 admissions per day, marking an increase of 26 per cent on last week

The graph shows the number of Covid-infected people hospitalised in South Africa each week. Last week, 1,027 people were admitted to public and private hospitals, equating to an average of 146 people per day. Some 552 people have been hospitalised with the virus in the first three days of this week, equating to 184 admissions per day, marking an increase of 26 per cent on last week

Dr Angelique Coetzee, chair of the South African Medical Association and the first person to spot the new variant in a patient, said her patients infected with Omicron reported different and much milder symptoms, including tiredness, muscle aches, a sore head and a dry cough. But none reported the tell-tale symptoms of a loss of smell or taste or breathing difficulties

Dr Angelique Coetzee, chair of the South African Medical Association and the first person to spot the new variant in a patient, said her patients infected with Omicron reported different and much milder symptoms, including tiredness, muscle aches, a sore head and a dry cough. But none reported the tell-tale symptoms of a loss of smell or taste or breathing difficulties 

Professor von Gottberg, from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), said 183 of the 249 cases that have been sequenced in South Africa this month have been caused by the super strain. 

Last Wednesday, 1,275 people tested positive in South Africa — marking a 3.6 per cent positivity rate.

UK could approve Covid vaccines for five to 11-year-olds 'by Xmas' 

The UK is poised to start administering Covid vaccines to primary school children as soon as Christmas amid fears of the looming Omicron wave.

Ministers have asked their independent vaccine advisers and chief scientists Sir Patrick Vallance  and Chris Whitty to consider the move.

George Freeman, a business minister, told Sky News today: 'We're looking at the science on that and the balance of the rollout.

'(Sir) Patrick Vallance, our chief scientist, and (Professor) Chris Whitty are advising on that and it is their advice that guides us.' 

June Raine, chief executive of Britain's medicines regulator, said earlier this week that it was 'very likely' a safety review would be wrapped up by Christmas.

Even if the jab is approved by the MHRA, however, the plans still need to be signed off by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.

The JCVI has so far resisted calls to jab young children because Covid poses such a tiny risk to them. 

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The figure rose to 4,373 on Tuesday, with 10.2 per cent of those swabbed testing positive.

The upward trend continued yesterday, with 8,561 testing positive — increasing six-fold in a week and nearly doubling on Tuesday's number — equating to a positivity rate of 16.5 per cent. 

Professor von Gottberg said about 75 per cent of samples that have been sequenced are Omicron, but she noted there is a lag, due to the time it takes to collect and sequence positive tests.

And the number of positive samples sequenced — when scientists examine a positive sample in a laboratory to determine what Covid strain caused an infection — in South Africa in November equate to less than one per cent of positive cases for the month.

There was 'bias' in the first Omicron samples scientists sequenced last month, because they examined positive cases they suspected were a new variant, rather than a random sample of the population.  

Professor von Gottberg said: 'However, it does look like there is a predominance of Omicron throughout the country and Omicron has

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