In South Africa, the omicron variant has spread rapidly, but many infected people describe the disease as a flu, with mild symptoms such as headaches, stuffy noses and coughs. It writes Sky News.
The head of the clinic at a hospital in the country, Fareed Abdulla, tells the newspaper that he has noticed a significant reduction in the number of patients with severe symptoms.
Only a few of the admitted patients need oxygen supply, and few have severe symptoms. Abdulla says the impression now is that this covid wave is different from those that have been before.
– I have talked to all my colleagues who have worked at the hospital here and at other hospitals, and they all have the same impression.
South Africa’s population is relatively young, and fewer are vaccinated than in many western countries. It is therefore likely that more people have been infected with coronavirus in the past, and that they are therefore more resistant to new variants.
Municipal councilor Adolf Marema, who represents the Alexandra district in Johannesburg, says that among the several hundred he talks to daily, most state that they have the flu.
However, Marema believes that these are people who are infected with the omicron variant, but that the symptoms are mild.
According to the municipal councilor, the virus variant has spread very quickly. He says the virus has swept through the neighborhood.
– It has spread very, very fast. Like a bomb, he tells Sky News.
–
