Comparing Prospective Incident Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection Rates During Successive Waves of Delta and Omicron in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Simiso Mandisa SokhelaBronwyn BoschAndrew HillBryony SimmonsJoana WoodsHilary JohnstoneShabir MadhiAmbar QaviLeah EllisGodspower AkpomiemieEsther BhaskarJacob LeviJonathan FalconerManya MirchandaniCarmen Perez CasasKarlien MollerVictoria PilkingtonToby PepperrellWillem Daniel Francois VenterPublished in: Open forum infectious diseases (2022)
In high-risk individuals in Johannesburg, during the Delta coronavirus disease 2019 wave, 22% (125/561) were positive, with 33% symptomatic (2 hospitalizations; 1 death). During Omicron, 56% (232/411) were infected, with 24% symptomatic (no hospitalizations or deaths). The remarkable speed of infection of Omicron over Delta poses challenges to conventional severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 control measures.