Doctor reports mild symptoms – “Would be like an early Christmas present”
“Patients complain of pain and fatigue – extreme fatigue”
“Patients complain of a painful body and tiredness – extreme tiredness,” says the chairman of the South African Medical Association, Angélique Coetzee, about her previous observations of Omikron infected people. However, the investigations are still at an early stage.
A doctor from South Africa reports on first experiences with people suffering from the Omikron corona variant. Dozens of patients had only mild symptoms. SPD politician Lauterbach is optimistic.
EAccording to the South African doctor Angelique Coetzee, an infection with the new Corona variant Omikron only led to mild symptoms in dozen of patients. Coetzee, chairman of the South African Medical Association, said in an interview with the AFP news agency on Sunday that in the past ten days she had examined around 30 patients who tested positive for the corona virus but had unusual symptoms. She had previously spoken to the BBC.
“You came to the consultation because you were extremely tired,” said the doctor, who practiced in Pretoria. This is unusual for younger patients. Most of those infected were men under 40 years of age, less than half of them had been vaccinated. You would have had slight muscle pain, a “scratchy throat” and a dry cough. Only a few would have had a slightly elevated temperature. Everyone has recovered without having to go to the hospital.
According to Coetzee, the very mild symptoms differ from infections with other corona variants. Therefore, on November 18, Coetzee informed the health authorities of her country about a clinical picture that did not match the delta variant that had prevailed until then. By then, she had examined the first seven of a total of 30 patients with unusual symptoms. The authorities were not surprised because they had already investigated the new variant, said Coetzee.
South Africa announced the discovery of the new variant with the scientific name B.1.1.529 on Thursday. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies them as “very worrying”.
Coetzee regretted that Omikron had been exaggerated as an “extremely dangerous virus variant” with numerous mutations, although its danger was still unclear. It is believed that the new variant is very contagious and resistant to the immune system. Whether it affects the effectiveness of the vaccine is still being investigated.
“Pretty sure many in Europe have the virus”
“We are not saying that there will be no serious illnesses,” emphasized Coetzee. Up to now, however, the unvaccinated patients would also have mild symptoms. “I’m pretty sure that many people in Europe already have this virus,” she said with conviction.
The SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach was cautiously optimistic in view of corresponding statements by Coetzee to the British newspaper “Telegraph”. “It would really be a preferred Christmas present if Omicron went easier,” wrote Lauterbach on Sunday in the short message service Twitter. “With so many mutations it would be conceivable.”
Lauterbach also urged caution. He pointed out that in South Africa only six percent of the population is over 65 years old. Germany, on the other hand, is the country with the oldest population in Europe with many chronically ill people.
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