Data| As COVID-19 cases decline in Gauteng, data from South Africa offers hope

Data from South Africa’s Gauteng province show that daily infections rapidly declined 50 days after the variant became dominant

Even as COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant are rising globally, data from South Africa’s Gauteng province, considered the epicentre of the new strain, show that daily infections rapidly declined 50 days after the variant became dominant. While the initial spike was faster than the Delta and Beta waves, and in fewer days than the Delta wave. Fewer hospitalisations and ICU admissions indicate that the Omicron variant leads to milder disease than Delta. In the current wave, daily recorded deaths are also lower than the previous two waves.

The chart shows the average number of daily COVID-19 cases recorded during the Omicron wave (November 16, 2021 to January 3, 2022 - 49 days), Delta wave (May 1, 2021 to November 15, 2021 - 199 days), and the Beta wave (October 1, 2020 to April 30, 2021 - 212 days). The first day a variant became dominant is considered day 1 of that version.