South African Hospitals on Alert as Omicron Impact Assessed
- Severity of illness caused by new variant still being assessed
- Government says it has capacity to cope with infection surge
Photographer: Shiraaz Mohamed/AP Photo
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South African hospitals are bracing for an increase in admissions from a rise in omicron-driven infections, as scientists grapple with questions about the severity of the illness caused by the new coronavirus strain.
The seven-day moving average of daily new cases in the country rose to 10,055 last week, from less than 300 three weeks earlier. Hospitalizations also picked up but remain relatively low, with admissions standing at 3,268 on Sunday. Whether there will be a deluge of new patients is the biggest question.