Many Omicron patients “not as seriously ill” as in previous Covid waves say doctors - BBC News

The Omicron variant of coronavirus was first identified in South Africa.

Doctors there say the early indications are that while hospitalisations are rising, so far the number of deaths and people needing intensive care is lower than at the same stage of previous waves of the virus.

Huw Edwards presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Andrew Harding in Johannesburg.

#BBCNews

[jaid]

Independent journalists have been saying this for weeks. People on the ground in S.A. have been saying it for weeks.

[joet]

what's this? the media reporting something that doesn't encourage mass panic? good for you, keep it up

[bristolrovers]

An almost balanced report, I'm shocked, unfortunately BBC has lost my trust and that of millions like me with its lack of critical reporting

[spalding]

Listen to what’s being said . Only a quarter of South Africans have been vaccinated. That’s from a population of some 60 million . But there are very low hospitalisation numbers of omicron. The potential reason being that the population is younger and so not vulnerable to the worst impacts of the virus .

But by getting the virus, natural immunity is being increased throughout the population which is better and longer lasting than vaccinations.

So tell me how it makes sense to

1. Vaccinate healthy children who are resilient to even the original and more harmful delta variant?
2. Any healthy person under age 50

Yet Boris and world governments are promoting boosters to literally every man woman and child regardless of their age, health, risk profile etc .

Doesn’t that strike anyone as being particularly odd ?

[rossilavery]

And yet my fellow cancer patients are having their operations and treatments delayed. If I had not had my surgery immediately I would have died, my oncologist told me that the timing of my chemotherapy (down to the day) was vital for the treatment to be considered effective. The immorality of choosing to sacrifice someone who will die without care in order to prepare for an influx of patients that will likely survive is sickening.

[johnmackenzie]

THIS IS WHAT THE S African doctors were telling us about 4 weeks ago!!

[sboss]

Shocking, the BBC with a balanced report? Literally the most surprising video I’ve seen in a while. Please keep it up

[alanliddle]

I had to look twice to check that this was a BBC report.
A bit of honesty goes a long way, keep it up.

[irl]

Omg bbc reporting the actual facts with no fear up the mood of the country finally.

[atommachine]

My Friends in Botswana were saying everyone there were scratching their heads as to Why it was being over reacted on in the west as no one had been that ill at all with it.

[vicaria]

My brother is a dr in South Africa and he tells me the people that are being admitted to high care now would have been sent home in previous waves. And not even a single covid person is on a ventilator.

[jujusirenn]

I had to click on this because I genuinely couldn't believe it was from the BBC, wow! Please continue with transparent and unbiased reporting.

[RH-iyvq]

At this point I would feel much safer if Corona, Delta and Omicron held a conference on how to protect us from the government and Fauci.

[robtheplod]

Well done BBC for reporting a factual report... i know it must have been hard....

[JH-cknr]

South Africa have always been right. The virus has to be lived with and it is getting milder like a cold for most. Government hype is !!

[GamingShephrd]

Not really 'News' when the person who discovered the new variant already told us this a few weeks ago. These people think we should pay for this coverage?

[sammyndekeindekei]

'There's no need to be worried' , quite encouraging words professor Nunes.

[dancewithunni]

Hospitalizations are also as of now still incidental. Many people testing positive are identified as part of routine admissions - before pregnancy etc. It's still early days but as someone who has lived through 3 waves in South Africa this 4th wave seems more media induced than health care

[LordSolidusI]

Finally, the media isn't afraid to tell us facts for once.

[timleopardxolo]

I hear the Omicron varient is so bad that a woman in Johannesburg nearly had to buy a box of tissues. It could have taken seconds off her natural lifespan.