Thread by @pieterstreicher

1 of 5:

1 December Gauteng #Omicron update:

After 24,000 new cases in the last 14 days, there is hardly an increase in ICU or ventilated beds occupied.

The ratio of cases to admissions is now close to 60:1.

2 of 5:

Gauteng only has 63 patients in ICU and 27 patients on ventilators, with no increase in the last 24 hours.

This is well below the lowest levels between the 1st and 2nd and the 2nd and 3rd waves.

This points to mostly mild cases.

source:
nicd.ac.za/diseases-a-z-i…

3 of 5:

Test positivity rates have only started to increase in the densely populated areas of Johannesburg. These areas are likely to have higher community immunity levels.

For 90% of the country, test positivity rates remain below 2.5%.

source:
nicd.ac.za/wp-content/upl…

4 of 5:

Hospital admissions are mostly amongst the young, 20-39 year olds, which could partly explain why cases are mostly mild.

Even though restrictions are light, the vulnerable continue to take extra care, and only 10% of admissions are >60 years in the last 20 days.

5 of 5:

I will not be surprised if #Omicron outperforms all vaccines in terms of effectiveness of immunity against future infection.

Covid-19 deaths in SA remain below 6 per million per day, and is unlikely to increase much in the next 2 weeks.

correction:

Covid-19 deaths in SA remain below 0.5 per million per day. The previous chart showed fatalities over a 2 week period.

In Gauteng, deaths remain below 0.3 per million per day.