The cases of the wave of covid-19 infections driven by omicron in South Africa, the first country to warn of this new variant, continue to fast descent, as well as the positivity rate of the exams performed, reported health sources.
According to the latest data provided by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NICD), the total of new infections this week was below the 10,000 a day and the positivity of diagnostic tests was below 25%.
Specifically, on Tuesday (last count available at the time) South Africa registered a total of 7,216 new infections and the rate of positive tests – an indicator that experts consider more indicative than registered cases – was 23.6 %.
The total of new infections this week has dropped to less than 10,000 a day
These numbers are now far from the infection records verified mid-month – South Africa was approaching 27,000 a day for a population of around 58 million inhabitants -, with days where around 1 in 3 exams were carried out. confirmed the covid19 contagion.
“The weekly average (of positivity) is 26.8% today, which is lower than yesterday (27.4%),” said the NICD in a statement released late on Tuesday, confirming the downward trend of the indicators of the pandemic.
17% more infections than with delta
The numbers suggest that South Africa may have already passed the peak of a fourth wave that grew rapidly at first, but is descending at a similar speed.
the investigator Ridhwaan Suliman, mathematician of South African Scientific and Industrial Research CouncilHe highlighted late on Tuesday via Twitter that the peak of the national wave driven by omicron had 17% more infections than the delta variant wave the country experienced earlier this year.
Hospitalizations, however, today remain in 60% of the total attended with the delta and deaths in only 16%, according to calculations by Suliman.
Hospitalizations currently remain at 60% of the total seen with delta and deaths remain at only 16%
NICD experts were already optimistic about the wave’s decline last week, though they warned that the Christmas holiday could mean fewer people will come for diagnostic tests.
South Africa, with 3.4 million cases accumulated to date and close to 91,000 deaths, remains the great epicenter of the pandemic in Africa.
Vaccination progress is slow and only 27% of the total population has the full schedule.
.