As the cold slowly starts to creep in and winter makes its announcement that its here, COVID-19 infections have been on the rise. According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), it has detected the new Omicron sub-variant BA.4 in wastewater in south western Johannesburg.
The NICD noted in its latest wastewater-based epidemiology for SARS CoV-2 surveillance report that stable, sustained and new increases regarding this variant have been detected in wastewater treatment plants across South Africa, including the Western Cape.
Over the weekend the institute reported 6 527 new cases which represents a 21.5% positivity rate, as IOL reports.
On Saturday, the institute reported 6 527 new cases, representing a 21.5% positivity rate.
However, despite the steady increase of the sub-variant in wastewater, the NCID has cautioned panic. According to the institute, the SARS-CoV-2 is discarded from symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals in stool but is not transmitted by the faecal-oral route nor via wastewater.
An increase of the SARS-CoV-2 was noted at Borcherds Quarry and Zandvleit in Cape Town, which has slowly climbed when compared to the previous epidemiological week.
The SARS-CoV-2 levels in Borcherds Quarry and Zandvleit in Cape Town had increased over the previous epidemiological week.
With South Africa’s notable rise in COVID-19 infections, the Health Department indicated that the fifth wave may be right on our doorstep as winter approaches, as per EWN.
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Winter may bring with it a fifth wave as COVID-19 infections rapidly increase
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