Africa records lesser hospitalisations as Omicron cases skyrocketing

COVID- 19 infection rates are skyrocketing across South Africa as a result of the coronavirus' highly mutated Omicron variant, but fewer people have died or required hospital treatment than in previous waves of the disease, according to health officials.

South Africa recorded its most increased number of cases since the pandemic's spread on Wednesday, owing to the rapid spread of Omicron. However, according to Dr Michelle Groome of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), hospitalizations have not increased "at such a dramatic rate."

"We're starting to see some increases, but they're relatively small," she said at a press conference.

According to Dr. Wassila Jassat of the NICD, the number of people requiring oxygen is "lower than it was in any of the previous wave periods."

"Patients do appear to stay for a shorter period of time," she said.

The data, according to Health Minister Joe Phaahla, do not indicate that Omicron is less contagious, but rather that vaccination is stopping severe illness.

"It's probably due to high vaccine coverage," he says, referring to older people in particular.

About 31% of the population is immunised, but for adults over the age of 60, the figure rises to 66%. The elderly are the most weak to increasing serious symptoms.

Scientists are unsure how dangerous Omicron is, but preliminary evidence suggests that it may be more resistant to vaccines and more transmissible than the Delta variant.

The average number of everyday COVID-19 cases in the United States, the world's hardest-hit country, has increased by 30 percent in recent weeks. The daily count on December 1 was 86,000. However, by December 14, it had risen to 117,000.

South African scientists discovered Omicron in November.

The discovery of the new variant raised concerns that it could spark a new wave of global infections, prompting many countries to impose travel restrictions in the southern African region. South Africa led a chorus of denunciation to the "unjustified" and "inadequate" travel bans, while scientists expressed concern that the restrictions would discourage other countries from reporting the discovery of new variants for fear of facing similar constraints.

On Thursday, health ministers from the G7 advanced economies called for international cooperation in the face of Omicron, which they described as the "largest current threat to global public health."