Omicron proving less lethal than Delta

Global cases update:

• Cases have surpassed 328.82 million, while the death toll has breached 5.55 million; recoveries are at 267.71 million.
• The US has 66.99 million cases, accounting for 20% of global cases; the US death toll is 873,564. 
• India has 37.38 million cases and 486,482 deaths; Brazil has 23 million cases and 621,099 deaths.
• Japan is expected to impose stricter curbs on Tokyo and surrounding areas this week.
• Austria will impose fines for unvaccinated people from mid-March.
• France has passed a bill to prohibit entry to restaurants and public venues to unvaccinated people.
• Greece is contemplating fines for the unvaccinated.
• Globally, over 9.7 billion vaccine doses have been administered across 184 countries at a rate of 40.7 million doses a day.

Africa cases update:

• Africa’s Covid-19 cases are at 10.48 million; fatalities are at 234,380.
• Morocco has 1.04 million reported cases, Nigeria 250,929, Ghana 153,514, Kenya 317,634.
• The 4th wave, driven by the Omicron variant, seems to be flattening in Africa.
• Indeed, Southern Africa recorded a 14% decline in infections over the past week. 
• East and Central Africa regions also experienced fewer infections. 
• North and West Africa, however, are still experiencing an increase in infections.

South Africa cases update:

• SA currently has the 19th highest caseload, at 3.559 million; 4,597 new cases were reported yesterday.
• Active cases are at 94,862; KwaZulu-Natal leads the way, with 34,439 active cases, followed by the Western Cape with 19,020.
• Covid-19 deaths rose by 86 yesterday, to 93,364; 3.371 million people (or 94.7%) have recovered from the virus.
• 28.903 million vaccines have been administered in SA to date; 4,374 vaccines were administered yesterday.
• 16.036 million people, or 40.29% of the adult population, have been fully vaccinated.
• The NICD has noted that the death rate of those infected with Omicron in SA peaked at just 14%-15% of the rate seen during the Delta wave.
• The Omicron variant accounts for at least 98% of cases in SA, with a sustained drop in cases over the past two weeks.
• The NICD noted that 580,000 people tested positive in the Omicron wave, compared to 1.2 million people in the Delta wave.
• There have been fewer hospitalisations in the Omicron wave.

Read PDF