- Our #Omicron wave is over
- There was a small uptick when schools and colleges opened and restrictions were also eased, but infections are now down to "in between wave" levels
@Dr_Groome: 1. BA.2 (the version that's now spreading around the world, as opposed to BA.1, the original version) 2. BA.2 (dark orange on pie charts) = more transmissible, but SA data shows it doesn't make people sicker than BA.1
3. These graphs show how SA's #COVID19 cases have decreased (top) and how the BA.2 version of #Omicron has increased/spread (bottom).
4. Currently, the highest incidence of #COVID19 cases = people of 80 and older and the lowest incidence among kids ages 0-4 years.
5. @Dr_Groome: 1. Our test positivity rate 4 #Omicron = higher than at the same "in between wave" stage in other waves, so it's been decreasing slower 2. But it's now below 10% and decreasing or stabilising all provinces (WHO says 5% = indication a pandemic is under control)
6. @Dr_Groome #COVID19 cases are decreasing in all age groups, as shown in this graph
7. Summary: 1. The BA.2 version of #Omicron has increased from 5% of genomes sequenced in Dec to 78% in Feb 2. The % of tests coming out positive are decreasing and so is the number of daily #COVID19 cases
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[Thread] 1. What's happening with #COVID19 hospital admissions in SA?
Waasila Jassat, @nicd_sa:
- Over the past 14 days, admissions have decreased between 18% and 59% in all provinces
2. Your risk of hospitalisation due to an #Omicron infection is about 50% lower than in Wave 1,2,3 in SA (the risk for each wave = slightly different)
Most admissions in Wave 4 (#Omicron) = people between 20 and 39 years. In Wave 1,2,3 = admissions of people between 40 and 70.
3. Even though there were more admissions among younger people during our #Omicron wave, people's risk of admission still increased with age. So the older you were, the more likely you were to get very sick with #COVID.
[Thread] Have the new #COVIDV19 jab rules @healthza implemented in Feb resulted in a higher uptake?
- Early data = encouraging (🧵= details)
- What were the changes?
* 2nd #Pfizer jab = 21 days after 1st
* Pfizer booster = 90 days after 2nd
* #JnJ booster = 60 days after 1st
2. When did the changes kick in? 1. #JnJ: 21 Feb #Pfizer: 23 Feb 2. What happened?
Comparison of uptake on 16 Feb + 2 March (1 wk after new rules):
* Increases:
- EC: 113%, KZN: 64%; LP: 96% (private sites)
- WC: 66% (public sites)
- NC (93%) (public +private sites)
3. What changes did @healthza see in uptake in provinces before and after the new rules?
- Uptake in all provinces increased
- Largest increases
MP: 1.7%
FS : 1.3%
GP 1.3%
#JoePhaahla: 1. 20 million+ vaccine doses in stock 2. There's been an increase in take-up over the past week 3. But there's still a risk that 100,000 doses that will expire on March 31 won't be used in time + need to be discarded
2. #JoePhaahla: 1. SA is working with #COVAX to take up doses in SA that risk expiry before use and then return them later (so a kind of exchange programme) 2. Programmes right now specifically target the 18-34 age group where uptake is the lowest
3. Nicholas Crisp, @HealthZA:
More exact count of nr of #COVID19 doses in SA: 25 mil doses
- 13 mil = #Pfizer
- Pfizer = more difficult to store than #JnJ - once removed from low temperatures = limited shelve life
- All JnJ doses only expire in 2023
🧵1. Will SA vax kids between 5 + 11 years @ #COVID19?
- The vax MAC = not made a recommendation 2 @HealthZA. @SAHPRA1 = not approved vax 4 this group yet
- But if they say "yes" = no money 2 buy the jabs. Kids jabs = different from adult jabs. We can't use the ones we've got.
2. Do other countries vaccinate kids between 5 + 11 @ #COVID19?
- Just over a quarter of kids between 5 + 11 = vaxxed in the US
- UK = vaxxing vulnerable kids (for now)
- Sweden = only vaxxing kids vulnerable to respiratory diseases
- Full story: bit.ly/3JVGmzu
3. What about our current #COVID19 vax stock?
- In total we've got 27 million doses
- 400,000 #Pfizer doses will expire on March 31
- 7 million #Pfizer doses will expire in June/July
- Full podcast: bit.ly/3BYCFqc
BREAKING [Thread]
From Wed, 23rd Feb, you can: 1. Get a 2nd #Pfizer jab 21 days after a 1st jab (previously = 42 days) 2. Get a Pfizer booster (3rd jab) 3 mnths after a 2nd jab (previously = 6 months) or choose 2 have a #JnJ booster after 2 #Pfizer shots (boosters = only for 18+)
2. From TOMORROW, Mon, 21st Feb, people of 18+ who received 1 #JnJ jab can:
- Choose to have a #Pfizer booster (instead of a 2nd #JnJ shot [booster] after 1 JnJ shot), in other words, you'll be able to "mix and match"
3. What should you do if a site has only 1 brand of #COVID19 vaccine available?
@HealthZA: 1. You should go with the same jab that you got 4 vaccination as a booster (or look for a different site) 2. Homologous boosting (booster = same as your other doses) = preferred