The South African doctor who discovered the omicron variant of COVID-19 said it has caused an “extremely mild” outbreak “at the epicenter,” so the world does not need to fear an uptick in serious illness, ZeroHedge reported.
Dr. Angelique Coetzee, chair of the South African Medical Association, said she has not seen “anyone” admitted to the hospital with the omicron variant. Her colleagues reported “the same picture.”
Coetzee’s assurances seemed to contradict the fearmongering of the World Health Organization, which on Monday doubled down on its panic-mongering that omicron posed a “very high” risk while calling for a new spate of lockdowns and other measures, the Associated Press reported.
Coetzee first noticed the omicron variant in a patient who experienced intense fatigue and other cold-like symptoms. She called the variant’s usual symptoms “different [from other COVID-19 variants] and so mild.”
“It presents mild disease with symptoms being sore muscles and tiredness for a day or two, not feeling well,” Coetzee said.
“So far, we have detected that those infected do not suffer loss of taste or smell,” she continued. “They might have a slight cough. There are no prominent symptoms. Of those infected some are currently being treated at home.”
Coetzee said she could not understand the panic surrounding the omicron variant, adding that the media has “definitely” hyped its potential danger.
She said on the BBC that the variant is likely circulating throughout the rest of the world without anyone’s notice.
“I think you already have it there in your country,” says the South African doctor who first raised concern over the Omicron variant
Dr Angelique Coetzee says UK doctors “might be more focused on the Delta symptoms” and missing the Omicron varianthttps://t.co/yTOMDgupgq #Marr pic.twitter.com/VmpPGCpxqm
— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) November 28, 2021
Several other doctors and organizations have confirmed Coetzee’s analysis.
Barry Schoub, who chairs South Africa’s Ministerial Advisory Committee on Vaccines, said the omicron variant has not destabalized the nation’s hospitals.
“The cases that have occurred so far have all been mild cases, mild-to-moderate cases, and that’s a good sign,” Schoub said, though he claimed that the situation could worsen.
The American financial sector does not consider omicron a threat to the world economy.
Goldman Sachs said that investors should have a “reasonable degree of confidence that this mutation is unlikely to be more malicious and that the existing vaccines will most likely continue to be effective.”
