London, Nov. 28 (BNA): People in South Africa who have contracted the Omicron strain of COVID-19 have not fallen seriously ill, according to the country’s Medical Association (SAMA).
Angelique Coetzee, president of the South African Medical Association, told the BBC that the cases detected in South Africa are not yet serious, the German news agency (dpa) reported.
However, research into the alternative is still at a very early stage, she said, adding that only 24 percent of people have been fully vaccinated in the country.
“Patients often complain of body aches, fatigue and extreme fatigue and we see this in the younger generation rather than the elderly,” she said.
These are not patients who were taken directly to hospital, Coetzee said.
However, in comments to other media outlets, Coetzee expressed concerns that the alternative might have implications for older adults with underlying conditions such as heart disease or diabetes.
The symptoms of the new variant are unusual but mild, she said, adding that she was first alerted to the possibility of a new variant when patients with unusual symptoms of Covid-19 came to her clinic in Pretoria in early November complaining of extreme fatigue.
Coetzee was reportedly the first South African doctor to alert authorities to patients with a new variant on November 18.
Omicron has been classified as a “variable of concern” by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The European Center for Disease Control has expressed serious concerns that the new strain could significantly reduce the effectiveness of available vaccines and increase the risk of reinfection.
In response to the news, several governments around the world have suspended passenger flights from some southern African countries, including Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Swaziland.
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