Omicron variant South Africa, “mild symptoms and decreasing infections”

The Omicron variant causes milder covid symptoms. This is the indication that comes from South Africa on the basis of the data illustrated by Professor Cheryl Cohen, scientist of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD). “In South Africa, this is the epidemiological situation: Omicron behaves in a less severe way. Our data, on the whole, paint a positive picture with a reduced severity when compared to that of other variants,” Cohen said. The team of researchers who elaborated the data, however, adds a consideration: the consequences caused by the variant in the country could be conditioned by the very low average age of the population. In South Africa the average age is 27.6 years, much lower than that of Great Britain or Italy. “The lowest level of risk we are seeing in this fourth wave could be linked to a number of factors, including the level of previous immunity of people already vaccinated or cured. Or it could be linked to Omicron’s inherent virulence,” says the Dr. Waasila Jassat. The claims of the experts come as South Africa experiences a “massive decline” in new infections. From 27 thousand last Thursday it fell to 15,424 yesterday.