South Africa Omicron variant excess deaths a fraction of other waves

South African excess deaths have peaked during the omicron-driven wave of infections at a fraction of the numbers seen in outbreaks caused by earlier variants

South African excess deaths, regarded as a true indication of the impact of Covid-19, have peaked during the omicron-driven wave of infections at a fraction of the numbers seen in outbreaks caused by earlier variants.

The number of excess deaths, a measure of mortality against a historical average, in the week to Dec. 26 fell to 3,016 from 3,087 the week earlier, the South African Medical Research Council said in a report on Wednesday. Official deaths due to Covid-19 declined to 425 from 428. The excess death decline was the first in three weeks.

That compares with a peak of 16,115 in