South African hospital sees Omicron wave end

Syringes with needles are visible in front of a displayed stock chart and the words “Omicron SARS-CoV-2” in this illustration taken on November 27, 2021. (REUTERS / Dado Ruvic / Illustration)

Doctors in one of the towns where Omicron was first identified say the surge induced by the new variant has been marked by less severe disease than previous waves of the pandemic and there are clear signs that the Case rates and hospital admissions could drop over the next few weeks.

At Steve Biko University Hospital in Tshwane City, doctors compared 466 infected patients admitted since mid-November 2021 to 3,976 patients admitted before that date. The death rate during the Omicron flare was 4.5%, up from 21.3% in the previous period, they reported in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases.

Omicron patients were discharged after an average of four days, compared to 8.8 days for patients with previous variants.

Unprecedented speed

At the height of the Omicron wave, the number of beds filled with infected patients was half that of the previous period, and 63% of Omicron patients were hospitalized for other reasons, with the virus only being detected by compulsory tests.

“The Omicron epidemic has spread and diminished… with unprecedented speed, peaking in four weeks,” the researchers said.

They noted that results may vary in countries with different population characteristics and levels of immunity to infection and vaccination.

But if the pattern seen in South Africa “continues and repeats globally … Omicron could be a harbinger of the end of the epidemic phase” of the health crisis, they added.

Read more

Don’t miss the latest news and information.

For comments, complaints or inquiries, Contact us.