South Africa
The Omicron variant was first discovered by scientists in South Africa and neighboring countries in November, though it is not clear where in the world the variant actually emerged. Following its discovery, cases in South Africa precipitously climbed, though they’ve recently started to decline. Covid-related hospitalizations and deaths in the country have been lower than seen in previous peaks, perhaps a sign that Omicron may be milder than past strains, but many experts are still cautious about the threat that the highly contagious variant may pose to healthcare systems around the world.
