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TheRickles

(3,475 posts)
28. Omicron started in South Africa, but their data isn't nearly as scary as these headlines make it.
Fri Dec 17, 2021, 06:58 PM
Dec 2021

Check out South Africa's stats on Worldometer: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/south-africa/

Scroll down and compare "Daily New Cases" (graph #2) with "Daily New Deaths" (graph #5), and you'll see that there hasn't been the spike in deaths that these headlines are predicting. Comparing this current omicron wave with the earlier waves, there should have been an obvious spike in deaths by now. So the situation may turn out to be as some are reporting - Omicron is extremely contagious, but not nearly as lethal as previous variants.

Time will tell, but I think it's too soon to panic.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

Keep your head down and let it fly overhead. We know the drill Bernardo de La Paz Dec 2021 #1
It's happening Renew Deal Dec 2021 #2
Ohio National Guard has been called on to assist their hospitals. . . . nt Bernardo de La Paz Dec 2021 #3
I took a "snack bag" donation for the staff to our local hospital the other day leftieNanner Dec 2021 #16
To be clear, it was Biden who said:".. looking at a winter of severe illness and death," TeamProg Dec 2021 #4
To be clear, it was Michael Osterholm who said ... left-of-center2012 Dec 2021 #5
It's coming for all of us IronLionZion Dec 2021 #12
Yep, I read all that. TeamProg Dec 2021 #35
For the "not enough data" folks, IronLionZion Dec 2021 #6
RW nutter no-vaxxers, here is your last chance NCjack Dec 2021 #7
A bit late for unvaxxed to get caught up. wnylib Dec 2021 #73
Widespread with mix and mutants unknown bucolic_frolic Dec 2021 #8
This could lead to the collapse of our medical services as they are overwhelmed, along with Ford_Prefect Dec 2021 #9
The CEO of SOUTHWEST AIRLINES Aerator Dec 2021 #10
The CEO DENVERPOPS Dec 2021 #20
Doesn't matter how he flies, he has covid. LisaL Dec 2021 #47
but he testified that masking in airplane cabins is not effective Skittles Dec 2021 #67
He testified on Wednesday, not a week before. LisaL Dec 2021 #48
This message was self-deleted by its author traitorsgalore Dec 2021 #58
CEO Slammer Dec 2021 #71
i am tempted to go back into quarantine. barbtries Dec 2021 #11
My house as well. fleabiscuit Dec 2021 #44
I'm happy to quarantine! IzzaNuDay Dec 2021 #69
Why are concerts, bars and movie theaters still open? OneCrazyDiamond Dec 2021 #13
And churches. StarryNite Dec 2021 #17
Gun stores OneCrazyDiamond Dec 2021 #18
Then what about grocery stores? former9thward Dec 2021 #56
They were deemed essential. OneCrazyDiamond Dec 2021 #63
So close places that might make up 5-10% of the cases former9thward Dec 2021 #64
Yes, shut as much down as we can. OneCrazyDiamond Dec 2021 #65
Then when everything opens back up, COVID blows up again. Ace Rothstein Dec 2021 #68
So far OneCrazyDiamond Dec 2021 #74
Amen! Delphinus Dec 2021 #19
The GOP keeps claiming Dems will have lockdowns IronLionZion Dec 2021 #23
It will be worse if this spreads so fast we have to anyway. n/t OneCrazyDiamond Dec 2021 #25
We may not need formal lockdowns Random Boomer Dec 2021 #60
If it's mostly GOP voters IronLionZion Dec 2021 #61
Restaurants are the biggest problem Polybius Dec 2021 #45
I'm glad I got my booster shot already. Lonestarblue Dec 2021 #14
That's my routine too. I never stopped masking. CottonBear Dec 2021 #50
The anti-vaxxers did this to themselves. Initech Dec 2021 #15
Yes, but it won't affect only them Orrex Dec 2021 #22
They will get it and spread it IronLionZion Dec 2021 #24
The Facebook propaganda is as much of a virus as COVID is. Initech Dec 2021 #26
get it, spread it and give it a place to mutate rurallib Dec 2021 #29
It would be nice to live in a developed nation during this crisis Orrex Dec 2021 #21
Ingratitude just a bit for the blessings that come to us as Hortensis Dec 2021 #52
Disease is nature's population control system AZLD4Candidate Dec 2021 #27
Just a tad human-centric in your perspective Random Boomer Dec 2021 #62
Nope. all organisms have diseases, parasites, and pathogens AZLD4Candidate Dec 2021 #66
Omicron started in South Africa, but their data isn't nearly as scary as these headlines make it. TheRickles Dec 2021 #28
Hoping for the best, but South Africa has a younger population, in general, than the USA. No Vested Interest Dec 2021 #30
I'm not panicing.... OAITW r.2.0 Dec 2021 #32
But sometimes it's better to overreact pstokely Dec 2021 #38
This article explains why US might be very different from South Africa. LisaL Dec 2021 #39
I think what is scaring people are the sheer numbers. NH Ethylene Dec 2021 #49
True, which is why the info coming out of South Africa in the next few weeks will be so important. TheRickles Dec 2021 #53
UK's data is what we should be looking at. LisaL Dec 2021 #54
My 25 year old son studying for the LSAT said today he didn't believe all these deaths occurred and Pepsidog Dec 2021 #31
This sucks. orangecrush Dec 2021 #33
A holiday note for anti-vaxxers: madamesilverspurs Dec 2021 #34
I don't care about cases as much as I do hospitalizations and deaths crimycarny Dec 2021 #36
South Africans have very high levels of natural immunity, because a lot of them have been LisaL Dec 2021 #40
could be--but that's speculation crimycarny Dec 2021 #41
I don't know of any findings in the midwest indicating that omicron is less lethal. LisaL Dec 2021 #42
I believe I read it in the Chicago Tribune crimycarny Dec 2021 #43
Severity remains unclear doesn't equal less lethal. LisaL Dec 2021 #46
Everything you are saying is speculation as well crimycarny Dec 2021 #75
This message was self-deleted by its author crimycarny Dec 2021 #37
It doesn't seem to matter Marthe48 Dec 2021 #51
This is what Omicron looks like in the UK (through yesterday) LudwigPastorius Dec 2021 #55
This message was self-deleted by its author traitorsgalore Dec 2021 #57
His fear of sick hospital workers is already occurring NickB79 Dec 2021 #59
Where is the Pfizer pill that might save lives so this isn't such dire news? Brainfodder Dec 2021 #70
It needs to be approved first. LisaL Dec 2021 #72
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