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An influx of new ones COVID-19 cases threaten South Africa.
Health experts say the infections run from two sub-variants of omicron.
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Omicron strains BA.4 and BA.5 – which look very similar to the original omicron strain – make up the majority of new cases, according to Professor Martha Nunes, a researcher at Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Analysis at Chris Honey Baraghwanat Hospital.
“Most of the new cases are from these two strains. “They’re still omicrons … but they’re just a little different genomically,” she told the Associated Press, noting that there has been a small increase in hospitalizations and “really very few deaths.”
A woman waiting in line to be screened for COVID-19 at a testing center in Soweto, South Africa, Wednesday, May 11, 2022. South Africa is experiencing an increase in new cases of COVID-19, led by two sub-variants of omicron, according to health experts. (AP Photo / Denis Farrell)
The average number of new cases rose from about 300 a day in April to about 8,000 a day last week – although experts say the actual number of cases is much higher.
The sub-variants appear to infect people who are immune to earlier infections and COVID-19 vaccinations, and Nunes said they are generally causing a mild illness.
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“Vaccines still seem to protect against serious diseases,” she added.
South African authorities said in April that the rapid rise in cases was due to BA.4, and Salim Abdul Karim, a public health expert at KwaZulu-Natal University, said it was too early to say whether the sub-option would cause a “full-blown wave”. “.
IN World Health Organization (WHO) said there was no evidence that BA.4 led to much higher levels of hospitalization or death.
Patient undergoes nasal swab to test for COVID-19 at Soweto Test Center, South Africa, Wednesday, May 11, 2022 (AP Photo / Denis Farrell)
The agency said the number of new global cases continues to decline worldwide, with the exception of America and Africa.
“The jury still doesn’t know how seasonal the virus will be,” WHO emergency chief Dr. Michael Ryan told reporters earlier this month.
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“If people are crammed into conditions where a new version is spreading, you will see high levels of transmission,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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