Covid-19 in SA is 100% Omicron, genome boffins reveal

For the first time since genomic analysis of Covid-19 became widespread, a single variant is responsible for all cases sampled.

Omicron caused 100% of the 61 cases that came under the microscopes of scientists in the Network for Genomic Surveillance in SA last week.

This emerged from the network’s weekly report issued by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), and comes just three weeks after SA scientists first identified Omicron.

The new variant has since driven active cases of Covid-19 to 174,340, slightly above the first-wave peak of 173,590 recorded on July 20 2020.

An average of 12,516 active cases has been chalked up in each of the last seven days, and with the exponential increase showing no signs of slowing, the total is expected to eclipse the third wave peak this week.

The second wave of Covid-19 infections reached a peak of 239,799 active cases in January, and this total is only about six days away if the spread of Omicron is not arrested.

TimesLIVE