Encouraging news out of South Africa. Study data has suggested South Africa’s Omicron peak has indeed passed with NO major spike in deaths OR hospitalizations.
The study looked at the rate at which the fourth surge in cases progressed in the South African city of Tshwane, which researchers described as the "global epicentre" of the Omicron wave.
Researchers looked at hospital records from a Tshwane hospital system and compared them to prior surges. Based on their analysis, the omicron wave "spread and declined in the City of Tshwane with unprecedented speed peaking within 4 weeks of its commencement."
The study determined that the wave peaked during the week of Dec. 5th, roughly four weeks after an exponential increase in cases was observed. According to the researchers, peak hospital bed occupancy during the omicron wave was half of what was observed during the Delta wave,
and the distribution of patient ages was younger. Omicron currently accounts for 95% of sequenced cases in the Gauteng Province, where Tshwane is situated.
"The changing clinical presentation of SARS-CoV-2 infection is likely due to high levels of prior infection and vaccination coverage," researchers wrote, adding that roughly two thirds of Tshwane residents have some form of immunity from COVID-19, either from vaccination or
prior infection.” You can read the study here: sciencedirect.com/science/articl… and for more reading: nytimes.com/2021/12/30/wor… 
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
