https://youtu.be/1Paq17X6ucQ - https://youtu.be/1Paq17X6ucQ

Dr John Campbell's latest YouTube vlog. 

Very encouraging data coming from South Africa.

Yes it is very encouraging and good news. Per the cited article and Youtube  https://www.samrc.ac.za/news/tshwane-district-omicron-variant-patient-profile-early-features - https://www.samrc.ac.za/news/tshwane-district-omicron-variant-patient-profile-early-features

The SARS-CoV-2 positivity is an incidental finding in these patients and is largely driven by hospital policy requiring testing of all patients requiring admission to the hospital.This very unusual picture is also occurring at other hospitals in Gauteng. The high proportion of COVID incidental admissions may reflect higher rates of community transmission compared to previous waves (variants) that is not translating into higher admission rates for a primary COVID-19 diagnosis. 

There were only 2 patients in the COVID ICU in the last 14 days, neither of whom had a primary diagnosis of COVID pneumonia. Much shorter average length of stay 2.8 days for SARS-CoV-2 positive patients admitted to the COVID wards over the last two weeks compared to an average length of stay of 8.5 days for the past 18 months

So sounds like as of now extremely low severity of disease and infection is not primary cause for hospitalization but rather incidentally discovered as part of the admission process.

All good news.

Perhaps with it's 50 mutations Omnicron has mutated to become a rather contagious common cold. Time will tell.

Certain caveats apply as suggested by Dr Campbell. Time will reveal the.picture no doubt. What is concerning is the unknowns, but also the potential swamping affect of large infection and reinfections and how this might stack up against healthcare resources for all medical requirements and patients.

Let's just hope ....

Start planning for the next one.....lol

I have been reading several places now that the news is looking better in terms of it being less lethal than Delta.  Fingers crossed indeed!!

I am still waiting on more data....deaths are a lagging indication, so it takes time to see this part of the picture.

Even if Omircon is less deadly, if it spreads to more people then the number of deaths could go up fast.   

It would be nice if it were less deadly by a significant margin, so that there would be less deaths overall.

If Omicron would be spreading 3x faster then Delta Omicron at least would have to be 3x less deathly if it would bring "welcome effects"...I do not think it will do so...Healthcare is close/over breaking point in many places...so best tool left effective NOW is more restrictions !

https://www.samrc.ac.za/news/tshwane-district-omicron-variant-patient-profile-early-features - https://www.samrc.ac.za/news/tshwane-district-omicron-variant-patient-profile-early-features

 in this report "PCR machine in use at the SBAH laboratory does not screen for the S-

gene." .....Thats interesting!.

I agree Health care in some places are close to breaking point. Even if Omicron is mild but infects many it will still put a huge strain on the system. And that could cause a domino effect. 

Covid can also take along time to recover, from weeks to months... Covid can also be at its most severe on week 3 or 4. 

I feel we should really have more answers by now. Be able to predict what will happen. But I guess we will have to wait and see. 

Al Jazeera English: Omicron could be milder than Delta: WHO chief.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/12/8/omicron-could-be-milder-than-delta-who-chief - https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/12/8/omicron-could-be-milder-than-delta-who-chief