Suspected Omicron cases mild - leading S. Africa doctor

A South African doctor who raised the alarm over the Omicron variant has said dozens of her patients suspected of having the new variant had only shown mild symptoms and recovered fully without hospitalisation.

Angelique Coetzee, chair of the South African Medical Association, said she had seen around 30 patients over the past 10 days who tested positive for Covid-19 but had unfamiliar symptoms.

"What brought them to the surgery was this extreme tiredness," she said, speaking from Pretoria, where she practices.

She said this was unusual for younger patients.

Most were men aged under 40. Just under half were vaccinated.