There’s No Evidence That Omicron Is Less Deadly, U.K. Virologist Says Leading scientists cautioned that the level of immunity against the coronavirus among South Africa’s population due to earlier infections may be masking the severity of illness caused by the omicron variant . Since the discovery of the variant in South Africa and Botswana was announced on Nov. 25, hospitalization rates in South Africa have risen, though at a much slower pace than in previous waves, even as cases are rising more rapidly. The number of deaths has also been lower. A recent seroprevalence survey in Gauteng, the South African province where the omicron variant was first identified, showed that 72% of the population had a previous infection with the coronavirus, said Shabir Madhi, a vaccinologist at the University of the Witwatersrand. That compares with about 20% when the beta variant emerged a year ago, said Madhi, who led […]