South African physician and leader of the country’s Medical Association, Angelique Coetzee, He was the first to sound the alarm about Omicron The new virus variant that has now spread to large parts of the world.

Two weeks ago she told the British newspaper telegraph On how patients arrived at her clinic in Pretoria with unusual but mild symptoms of corona.

November 18, a family of four tested positive for the coronavirus. Everyone was totally exhausted, and that was when Coetzee reported to the South African Vaccine Committee.

She said she has had more than two dozen patients who have tested positive for the new variant. Most of them were healthy men who “felt very tired”. Half of the patients were not vaccinated.

I’m afraid of Norway

‘Tsunami on the way’

Since then, the omicron variant has spread at high speed. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 77 countries have so far Registered cases of the variable.

The United Kingdom, where the omicron variant accounts for more than 20 per cent of cases nationally, is among the countries that have pressed the big red button. British Health Secretary Sajid Javid has warned of this Perhaps a million Britons have been injured From omikron variant by the end of the year.

I fear we will face a crisis in our fight against the new alternative, and we must strengthen our protection to keep friends and drive safely. There must be no doubt, there is a tidal wave of omicrons on the way, and I’m afraid two doses of vaccine are not enough to give us adequate protection, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said at a press conference on Sunday evening.

A third dose will now be given to everyone 18 years of age or older in England before the New Year.

“hysteria”

In an interview with Sky News South African doctor Angelique Coetzee is now dealing with the statement that one million Britons could have Omicron by the end of December. She calls for ice in her stomach to counteract the virus variant.

– You have to take precautions, you have to be prepared, but not “hype”. Don’t say people are going to die from a viral infection, that hospitals will be overwhelmed. Coetzee tells the channel it’s best to wait and see.

And it confirms that the initial reports indicated that the infected people had a mild course of the disease. However, the omicron variant is believed to be much more infectious than the previous variants.

There has also been significant skepticism about how well vaccines will protect against this alternative. However, a new study in South Africa indicates that two doses of the Pfizer/Biontech vaccine provide about 33 percent protection against the same infection, while providing 70% protection against serious diseases.

Coetzee was at the British Parliament’s Research and Technology Committee meeting on Tuesday. To Sky News, the South African doctor suggested she thinks Boris Johnson is overreacting in the face of the virus variant.

The World Health Organization advises against treatment

-Prime Minister, don’t say these things, it’s hysteria, says Coetzee, adding:

– If you tell people that they will be confused, a million cases (…). Remember the UK is much better vaccinated than South Africa, and if you should catch an unprecedented infection there are mild cases – so let’s see what happens first, she says.

Coetzee adds that she tested patients who developed significantly more diseased delta variants.

Delta was horrible, it was heartbreaking. When the patients opened the door, she immediately realized they were in trouble, she told the channel, and claimed the picture of the disease for her omicron patients is milder.

Who: fear of crowding

The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned at a press conference on Tuesday Against rejecting the omicron variant as a milder variant giving less serious disease. He believes that even if that were the case, the health service could be overburdened if too many people are infected.

All available measures must be taken to prevent the spread, according to Tedros. He demanded that you vaccinate faster, use sanitary napkins, and keep your distance.

At the same time, he expressed doubts about the rich countries that will give a third dose of the vaccine to large segments of the population. It remains unclear whether this is really necessary to protect healthy adults from omicrons, according to the World Health Organization.

The government of Norway targets everyone Over 45 years old A third dose will be given by mid-January. Other European countries have set similar goals to protect populations from omicrons.

– It is important to keep in mind

No significant increase in hospitalizations or deaths has been recorded in South Africa since the discovery of the omicron variant. However, South African researcher Shabbir Madi believes that this does not necessarily mean that the type of virus is less dangerous.

Conversion Watchman He says this can be explained by the fact that South Africa was hit hard by previous waves of infection and the population’s immunity is therefore high.

The development of the omicron variant comes at a completely different stage of the epidemic. According to the paper, it’s important to keep in mind when we see what’s happening in South Africa and what we can expect elsewhere, where there could be an entirely different epidemic.

It is important to act now

in the last Risk assessment From FHI about the omicron variant, he mentioned that it will become dominant soon, which will give Significantly increased spread of infection.

Even if the omicron variant causes less serious illness in an individual, high prevalence would result in much more admissions than today, according to the institute.

The NIPH writes that the omicron variant will already in December cause a wave of many patients, many hospitalizations, a significant burden on health services and a significant burden on society, including through widespread disease absence.