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South African medical association: Omicron variant causes ‘mild disease’

Published

2 years ago

November 28, 2021

Ahron Young

The new Omicron variant of the coronavirus results in mild disease, without prominent symptoms, according to the South African Medical Association.

As the world reacts with concern to the new variant of COVID-19, officials in South Africa have called for calm.

Angelique Coetzee, the chairwoman of the South African Medical Association, says the symptoms of the new variant aren’t as severe as the original.

“It presents mild disease with symptoms being sore muscles and tiredness for a day or two not feeling well. So far, we have detected that those infected do not suffer loss of taste or smell.”

“They might have a slight cough. There are no prominent symptoms. Of those infected some are currently being treated at home,” Coetzee said.

Vaccination hope

The official noted that hospitals have not been overburdened by Omicron patients and that the new strain is not been detected in vaccinated persons. However, the situation might be different for the unvaccinated.

The World Health Organization (WHO) identified the new South African strain as one of concern, as it is reported to carry a high number of mutations.

The WHO has dubbed it Omicron, the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet.

“We will only know this after two weeks. Yes, it is transmissible, but for now, as medical practitioners, we do not know why so much hype is being driven as we are still looking into it.”

“We will only know after two to three weeks as there are some patients admitted and these are young people aged 40 and younger,” Coetzee added.

The chairwoman also criticised the decision by some countries to ban flights from South Africa is premature.

News

Technological terror: China reveals uncanny AI romance film

Published

15 hours ago

April 24, 2024

ticker NEWS

As competition intensifies in the streaming landscape, with players like Roku, Vizio, and Samsung launching their ad-supported platforms, TCL aims to carve its niche by offering compelling original content.

TCL, the renowned Chinese smart-TV manufacturer, announces its innovative use of generative artificial intelligence to produce original content for its streaming platform, TCLtvPlus.

Debuting this summer, “Next Stop Paris,” an AI-driven love story, marks the inaugural program from TCLtvPlus Studios

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Grindr application cruises into court over privacy concerns

Published

15 hours ago

April 24, 2024

ticker NEWS

Grindr faces lawsuit over alleged privacy breaches

Grindr, the popular gay dating app, is under fire in London as hundreds of users claim their private information, including HIV status, was shared without consent. The lawsuit alleges commercial use of sensitive data, sparking concern within the LGBTQ+ community. Grindr vows to defend its practices while emphasising its commitment to user privacy and compliance with data regulations.

News

The TikTok ban was just passed by the House. What could happen next?

Published

19 hours ago

April 24, 2024

ticker NEWS

Washington D.C. has been under pressure to ban the popular Chinese-owned social media app TikTok.

TikTok users could soon find that the popular social media service is either under new ownership or could be outright banned in the U.S.

Calls are growing louder from many lawmakers and national security hawks to ban TikTok, over fears the app could censure content, influence users, and give Americans’ personal data to Beijing.

But the Chinese tech company, ByteDance—which owns TikTok— denies the allegations.

Dave Levinthal, the Editor-in-Chief of Raw Story joins Veronica Dudo to discuss.