The famous ‘stay home’ sign in Cape Town, which appeared during the first COVID-19 lockdown – Photo: Odyssey Guide / Twitter
The famous ‘stay home’ sign in Cape Town, which appeared during the first COVID-19 lockdown – Photo: Odyssey Guide / Twitter
A family meeting is brewing this week, as the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) meets to discuss its latest response to the Omicron variant. It’s hoped that any lockdown restrictions will be kept to a premium, and according to one of South Africa’s top doctors, stricter rules could actually end up having a NEGATIVE effect.
Lockdown latest: Is Omicron milder than Delta?
Dr. Angelique Coetzee, credited as one of the first doctors who raised the alarm on Omicron, has been left baffled by the world’s reaction to this latest COVID mutation. As the chair of the SA Medical Association, her voice carries more weight than most – and she’s using her influence to try and calm a few nerves.
Speaking on Wednesday, Coetzee insists that almost all patients she and her colleagues have dealt with in this fourth wave are showing ‘very mild signs’ of illness. Despite rising case and hospitalisation numbers, the latest surge has caused nowhere near as much concern in the medical fraternity as the previous three waves did.
8. What about the risk of hospitalisation due to #Omicron infection compared to the variant (D614G) which dominated SA’s 1st #COVID wave?
— Mia Malan (@miamalan) December 14, 2021
Adults (18+) infected with #Omicron = 29% less likely to be hospitalised vs. infection with other variants pic.twitter.com/rHtUapnQx4
Hospital data for Omicron in South Africa
ICU numbers, patients requiring oxygen, and the forecast for the average ‘time spent in hospital’ are all down on Delta – pointing to the fact that South Africans may now be developing increased immunity against COVID-19.
Dr. Coetzee, aware of impending lockdown restrictions both at home and overseas, has cautioned against any regulations which would severely impose on the public’s civil liberties.
Angelique Coetzee warns against ‘Omicron lockdowns’
- According to the senior healthcare expert, the spread of Omicron may be a HELP, rather than a hinderance.
“Tough lockdown restrictions could end up doing more harm than good. Omicron could potentially be of great help to us, which is certainly not something you could say about the Delta variant.”
“A hard lockdown would slow the process of Omicron making its way through the population and allowing people to develop the vital antibodies which will move your population towards herd immunity. The next variant might be slower spreading but more severe, and so we will need all the help we can get from such natural immunity.”
Dr. Angelique Coetzee
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