New cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant in South Africa appear to have peaked, with data showing a 20% decrease in new daily cases over the past week, leading some researchers to believe the spread of the highly-contagious strain may have already hit its apex.
According to the New York Times, South Africa public health data show a drop in new cases in four of the countries most-populated provinces, while increases were reported in three other territories, leading to charts of new cases to show a defined peak last week.
“This is encouraging and quite optimistic in terms of the decreasing trends and case numbers,” said Dr. Michelle Groome, an epidemiologist at the National Institute of Communicable Diseases. Groome noted that the reduction in reported cases may be related to a lower testing rate in South Africa over the past week due to the holiday season.