The South African president examined positive for COVID-19 on Sunday as instances of the Omicron variant have surged within the area, officers mentioned.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, who’s totally vaccinated, is receiving medical remedy for “mild COVID-19 symptoms” after he examined positive on Sunday, his workplace mentioned in an announcement.
Officials mentioned he started feeling unwell after attending a state memorial service in honor of former Deputy President FW de Klerk in Cape Town earlier within the day.
The 69-year-old Ramaphosa, who’s “in good spirits,” has briefly delegated his duties to Deputy President David Mabuza for the following week whereas he stays in remoted quarantine in Cape Town. He is being monitored by the South African Military Health Service of the South African National Defence Force, officers mentioned.
The president’s positive check comes as South Africa and neighboring nations have seen a dramatic spike in infections, with consultants attributing the rise to the doubtless extra transmissible Omicron variant, which is believed to have originated within the area.
South Africa confirmed 22,400 new instances on Thursday and 19,000 on Friday, up from about 200 per day just some weeks in the past. The new surge has contaminated 90,000 folks previously month, Minister of Health Joe Phaahla advised the Associated Press Friday.
According to South African officers, 70 p.c of all new instances of the virus have been the Omicron variant. The coronavirus replica charge within the present wave, which signifies the variety of folks more likely to be contaminated by one particular person — is 2.5, the best that South Africa has recorded throughout the pandemic, Phaahla mentioned.
Eighty-six p.c of these hospitalized had been unvaccinated, and solely 30 p.c of these hospitalized had been critically in poor health. Only 3 p.c of hospitalized sufferers died from the virus, down from 20 p.c in earlier outbreaks, and the typical hospital keep was solely 2.8 days, down from eight days, officers mentioned.
The variant seems to trigger much less extreme signs than different variants reminiscent of delta, which had turn out to be the dominant pressure in 2021. However, medical consultants like Dr. Anthony Fauci concern that the virus might evade present vaccines, though preliminary experiences recommend receiving a booster shot helps defend towards it.
“The thing that’s important is that [Omicron] appears to be able to evade some of the immune protection of things like monoclonal antibodies, convalescent plasma and the antibodies that are induced by vaccines. That’s the sobering news,” Fauci advised ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos on “This Week” on Sunday.
“The somewhat encouraging news is that preliminary data show that when you get a booster, for example, a third shot of an mRNA, it raises the level of protection high enough that it then does do well against the Omicron,” Fauci added.
With Post Wires
