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South Africa may be entering a fifth COVID-19 wave earlier than expected after a sustained rise in infections over the past 14 days seemingly driven by the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sub-variants, health officials and scientists have said.
The country, which has recorded the most coronavirus cases and deaths on the entire African continent, only exited a fourth wave at the beginning of this year. Authorities had predicted a fifth wave could begin in May or June, early in the southern hemisphere winter.
Health Minister Joe Phaahla told a press briefing on Friday that although hospitalisations were picking up, there had been no dramatic change in admissions to intensive care units or deaths so far. He added that at this stage, health authorities had not been alerted to any new variant, other than changes to the dominant Omicron variant that first emerged in South Africa and Botswana in November, before sweeping around the world.