Omicron variant - The African Mirror

May

2022

South Africa has entered a new phase of the COVID pandemic: what that means

CONFIRMED cases of SARS-CoV-2 have been increasing in South Africa in recent weeks. This has been largely driven by two offspring – known as the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-lineages – of the Omicron variant first identified in South Africa late last year. What’s notable about the most recent spike is that there are a number of differences between what the country is currently experiencing and the first four waves of COVID-19 in South Africa. Authors MICHELLE J. GROOME, Head of the Division of Public Health Surveillance and Response, National Institute for Communicable Diseases JULIET PULLIAM, Director: SACEMA, South African Centre…

Feb

2022

By The African Mirror

COVID cases surpass 400 million as Omicron grips world

COVID-19

ROSHAN ABRAHAM and KAVYA B GLOBAL COVID-19 cases surpassed 400 million on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally, as the highly contagious Omicron variant dominates the outbreak, pushing health systems in several countries to the brink of capacity. The Omicron variant, which is dominating the surge around the world, accounts for almost all new cases reported daily. While cases have begun to level off in many countries, more than 2 million cases are still being reported on average each day, according to a Reuters analysis. Deaths, which tend to lag cases, have increased by 70% in the last five weeks based…

Dec

2021

By The African Mirror

South Africa readies hospitals as Omicron variant drives new COVID-19 wave – Ramaphosa

COVID-19

South Africa is preparing its hospitals for more admissions, as the Omicron variant pushes the country into a fourth wave of COVID-19 infections, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday. Ramaphosa said in a weekly newsletter that Omicron appeared to be dominating new infections in most provinces and urged more people to get vaccinated against COVID-19. "We will soon be convening a meeting of the National Coronavirus Command Council to review the state of the pandemic. This will enable us to take whatever further measures are needed to keep people safe and healthy," he added.

Dec

2021

By The African Mirror

Nigeria criticises addition to UK travel “red list” as unjust

NEWS

FELIX ONUAH NIGERIA has criticised Britain's decision to add the country to a travel "red list" due to coronavirus concerns as unjust and not driven by science. Nigeria joined South Africa and nine other Southern African countries on the list as of 0400 GMT on Monday after the British health ministry said most of its cases of the new Omicron variant had clear links to overseas travel from Nigeria and South Africa. The addition means only UK citizens and residents travelling from Nigeria are allowed entry to Britain and they must quarantine for 10 days in a hotel upon arrival.…

Dec

2021

By The African Mirror

Fauci says he hopes U.S. travel ban from southern Africa can be lifted in ‘reasonable period’

COVID-19

ANTHONY Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease official, said on Sunday he hopes the ban on travellers from southern African countries can be lifted in a "reasonable period of time" as more information is gathered on the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. Fauci said on CNN's "State of the Union" program that U.S. authorities are mindful of the hardship the travel ban is causing in those countries and are constantly re-evaluating the policy.

Dec

2021

By The African Mirror

Nigeria plans booster shots after first cases of Omicron variant

COVID-19

NIGERIA will start vaccine booster shots from next week for COVID-19, a senior official said, after the country confirmed its first cases of the Omicron variant among two travellers who arrived from South Africa last week. Faisal Shuaib, executive director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, said booster shots will be available from December 10 to those that have been fully vaccinated. Only 2.9% of Nigerians eligible to get vaccines have been inoculated so far. First reported in southern Africa a week ago, Omicron -- the mutated coronavirus variant that poses a high risk of infection -- has…

Dec

2021

By The African Mirror

S.African official says number of children sick with COVID-19 is not cause for panic

COVID-19

HIGHER hospital admissions among children during a fourth wave of COVID-19 infections in South Africa that is driven by the Omicron variant should prompt vigilance but not panic as infections have been mild, a health official said on Saturday. A large number of infants admitted with COVID-19 last month in Tshwane, the metropolitan area that includes the capital Pretoria, raised concerns that the Omicron variant could pose greater risks for young children than other coronavirus variants. Scientists have yet to confirm any link and have cautioned that other factors could be at play. Ntsakisi Maluleke, a public health specialist in…

Dec

2021

By The African Mirror

‘Omicron ‘blaming’ shows persistence of racism in healthcare’

HEALTH

DONNA BRYSON THE persistence of racism is evident once again with the "blaming and shaming" of African nations for the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, health advocate Dr Joia Crear-Perry said on Wednesday. Speaking at a Reuters Next panel on racial disparities in Black maternal healthcare, Crear-Perry said the medical profession in the United States needed to stop resorting to racist tropes and start truth-telling. "Even if you look at the latest blaming and shaming that's happening around the latest Omicron variant you see the same history, the same racist trope of blaming certain places, assuming white nations and nations…

Dec

2021

By The African Mirror

Omicron taking over in South Africa

NEWS

PROMIT MUKHERJEE THE heavily mutated Omicron variant of the coronavirus is rapidly becoming dominant in South Africa, less than four weeks after being detected there, authorities have said, as other countries tightened their borders against the new threat. The United States identified its first case of the new variant in a fully vaccinated traveller who had returned from South Africa on November 22 and had mild symptoms, top U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said. Hours earlier, airlines in the United States had been told to hand over the names of passengers from parts of southern Africa hit by Omicron,…

Dec

2021

By The African Mirror

WHO’s Tedros warns against over-reaction to Omicron

COVID-19

STEPHANIE NEBEHAY THE head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has voiced concern that some countries were introducing blanket measures against the Omicron coronavirus variant that may not be necessary and penalised African nations unfairly. "I well understand the concern of all countries to protect their citizens against a variant that we don't yet fully understand," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. "But I am equally concerned that several Member States are introducing blunt, blanket measures that are not evidence-based or effective on their own, and which will only worsen inequities." First reported in southern Africa a week ago, the variant has…