David Makhura, Gauteng Premier – Photo: Gauteng Government
David Makhura, Gauteng Premier – Photo: Gauteng Government
What a difference a vaccine makes. Data shared by the Gauteng Government on Thursday paints the clearest picture yet of just how effective the COVID-19 jabs are when it comes to protecting us against severe illness – and it also appears that the shots are able to neutralise the threat of the Omicron variant.
Vaccine protection set to ease Omicron, fourth wave fears – officials in Gauteng
Slides presented to the public on Thursday show how the rise in new infections, caused by the arrival of Omicron, has not translated into a high number of hospitalisations so far – and that’s almost exclusively down to the vaccine.
Comparative data reveals that the increase in cases requiring inpatient treatment over the last two weeks is LOWER than what we’ve seen at the same stage, in the previous three waves of COVID-19.
Pressure on hospitals ‘likely to be less than third wave’
Whereas new coronavirus infections are up by 300% in the past ten days, hospitalisations have risen by only 56%. Granted, that’s still a concerning rise, but the data shows a clear weakening in the link between cases and ward admissions. It’s already predicted that fourth wave hospitalisations will be fewer than the third wave.
- As this graph shows, vaccination has significantly reduced the demand on hospital beds
Predictions on hospital occupancy in #Gauteng for 4th wave is estimated at 4000 this compared to 9.5k during third wave. Why lower? Because vaccination has proved to reduce the chances of being hospitalised. #eNCA #OmicronVarient pic.twitter.com/j90MNaxCnj
— Heidi Giokos (@HeidiGiokos) December 2, 2021
Vaccines work, and the Gauteng Government can prove it
How can we be so sure it’s the vaccine easing the strain, then? Well, the hospitalisation data itself tells a fascinating story: In November, the number of COVID-19 patients aged under 40 increased, RELATIVE to the number of people over 40 who required hospital treatment. Vaccine uptake is higher in older age groups, and low amongst the youth.
As more senior citizens get vaccinated, and young citizens remain unjabbed, the dynamics of who this virus puts in a hospital bed are likely to alter, until the younger age groups catch up with their vax rates.
- Most Omicron patients have so far reported ‘only mild symptoms’ – but scientists believe this is down to vaccine protection.
Doing your own research? Consider this, then…
Shabir Madhi, a virology professor at Wits University in Johannesburg, has also chipped in on Thursday. His modelling suggests that the wave of Omicron will present the biggest danger to unvaccinated and previously uninfected individuals, and the expert believes that up to 90% of all severe cases will be made up of those who haven’t had a jab.
- Only 33% of people in Gauteng are fully vaccinated, and eight million adults haven’t had the needle in their arm yet.
“People who have not been previously infected by the virus and who remain unvaccinated are going to account for probably 90% of the cases that end up in hospital and end up dying of Covid-19.“
Shabir Madhi
