The last Omicron wave affected younger people. But the new BA.5 variant is seeing case numbers in older age groups higher than ever before – just as hospitals are under the most pressure.
Understanding the depth of vaccine hesitancy, and the drivers behind the lack of take-up is critical to preventing further deaths, infections, and continuing harm to the economy.
The COVID-19 vaccines continue to be effective against severe illness leading to hospitalization and death in all age groups, including children ages 5 to 11.
Michelle J. Groome, National Institute for Communicable Diseases; Juliet Pulliam, South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling & Analysis (SACEMA) , and Sheetal Silal, University of Cape Town
Repeated resurgences of SARS-CoV-2 transmission are expected in the years to come.
After reporting zero COVID cases until now, North Korea is facing a rapidly-spreading outbreak of the omicron variant. Here’s how things could play out.
‘Living with COVID-19’ has much higher risks for Nunatsiavut Inuit communities than many other areas. Recognizing those risks is crucial as mining operations resume in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Instead of minimizing current or future waves of COVID-19, we need strategies to deal with new variants efficiently. Only then can we live with the virus in a healthy way.
Dean Faculty of Health Sciences and Professor of Vaccinology at University of the Witwatersrand; and Director of the SAMRC Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand