South Africa Covid Cases

Omicron spreads further in India: Three cases detected in Telangana, total tally rises to 64

A 24-year-old Kenyan woman, a 23-year-old Somalian man and a seven-year-old child tested positive after arriving at Hyderabad’s international airport on 12 December

Omicron variant probably in most countries, spreading at an unprecedented rate, says WHO

The UN health agency urged countries to quickly rein in transmission and warned against treating the new variant as a ‘mild disease’

As world closes its doors on African nations over Omicron COVID-19 variant, India extends a helping hand

The Centre has announced that in addition to providing COVID-19 vaccines, it will also be ready to supply essential life-saving drugs, test kits, gloves, PPE kits and medical equipment such as ventilators

Early indications show that new variant Omicron causes milder illness — is this how COVID becomes endemic?

Very early indications from Africa suggest it does not cause particularly severe disease, although the World Health Organization has urged caution given the limited data available.

Omicron challenge for pharmas as race to make vaccines effective begins again

Vaccine makers across the world are studying the new COVID-19 variant Omicron, and trying to develop boosters by early 2022

Omicron COVID-19 variant raises new fears for pandemic-hit world economy

In the worst-case scenario, 2022 growth could fall to around 2.3 percent, as compared to the 4.5 percent expected by Oxford Economics before the variant emerged.

WHO warns that new Omicron COVID-19 variant poses ‘very high’ risk

The warning came as more countries around the world reported cases of the variant while scientists race to figure out just how dangerous the mutant version might be

Omicron: Not yet clear COVID-19 variant more transmissible or causes severe disease, says WHO

Preliminary data suggests that there are increasing rates of hospitalisation in South Africa but this may be due to increasing overall numbers of people becoming infected, rather than a result of specific infection with Omicron

Omicron: What we know and don't know about new COVID-19 variant

Scientists know that omicron is genetically distinct from previous variants including the beta and delta variants, but do not know if these genetic changes make it any more transmissible or dangerous