Omicron, the new variant of COVID-19 is creating havoc in the South African province where it was first detected. A more than 300% increase in virus-related hospitalisation was recorded this week in the province. What is even more alarming is that some of the 77 cases found by health officials last week were among vaccinated people.
Gauteng, one of the nine provinces of South Africa including Johannesburg recorded virus-related 580 hospitalisation cases this week, as per official data. This is a straight 330% jump from 135% recorded two weeks ago.
The new Omicron variant was sequenced in 77 cases in the region. Omicron is the most infectious strain of the COVID-19 virus yet and it could evade vaccine protection because of its high number of mutations.
In Gauteng, the largest province in the country around 38% that is 12 million residents have received at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine as of Monday morning. This is the third-lowest of the nation’s 12 provinces.
Though South African health officials reported that cases of the variant are often mild, the increase in hospitalisation in the province speaks otherwise.Â
During the week that ended on November 7, 120 COVID-19 related hospitalisations were detected. Last week, that figure doubled to 276, before jumping to 580 this week, government data revealed.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration has suspended travel from South Africa and six of its neighbouring countries to the United States. The move has been met with criticism from some health officials.
Many European nations, like the UK, have also banned incoming flights from nations in the southern portion of the continent as well.
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