The fifth wave of COVID doesn’t look like it will reach the same levels witnessed in December 2021 – Photo: Stock Image / Pixabay
The fifth wave of COVID doesn’t look like it will reach the same levels witnessed in December 2021 – Photo: Stock Image / Pixabay
Despite cases rising across the country, the devil remains in the detail of our latest COVID figures. South Africa is currently in the midst of a fifth wave, but some of the numbers are now starting to look quite promising.
Research from our top COVID experts has painted a clear picture of where this fifth wave is heading. Although new infections and test positivity levels have jumped in recent weeks, indicators from Gauteng – and even further afield – may put a few concerned minds at ease.
Gauteng, South Africa #Omicron BA.4 BA.5 update.
— pieterstreicher (@pieterstreicher) May 9, 2022
Cases (7d avg by reported date) are flatlining, while all hospital variables declined marginally in the last 24 hours.
Deaths remain well below December levels, increasing slowly.
data source: https://t.co/LSc0q6kFwG pic.twitter.com/TbLvNo6zkd
Streicher, a research associate for the University of Johannesburg, is confident in his assessment that the fifth wave is now running out of steam. He believes this will be the ‘blueprint’ for further resurgences elsewhere, with December’s Omicron peak remaining unchallenged:
“Gauteng is giving some indication of what other countries can expect with future resurgences in the absence of a new variant other than Omicron. Although Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 deaths will increase a bit further, the wave attenuation since Delta is significant.”
“All COVID variables we are seeing now are well below December’s original Omicron levels, which were well below July’s Delta levels. Experts continue to call for the dropping of restrictions, which are at odds with our current understanding of the pandemic.”
Pieter Streicher