South African stats since Covid started, Deaths 91,312, Cases 3,475,500, out of a population of just over 59 Million. But don't forget they have a serious problem with AIDS and over that same reporting period 216,150 have died from AIDS, which probably distorts the Covid figures.

Well in this country, Australia, not too many Omicron cases in hospital but so many cases that the testing labs have been overwhelmed such the government are now saying don't go and get tested unless you are really ill, just stay home and isolate. remember it's summer here and in South Africa who knows what winter will bring?

What this means is that the figures coming out of Australia are now under reported, and we still have thousands of reported cases.

My point is, the more cases there are, the more chance there is that a further mutation will occur, and if this does happen it may be a less severe version, or it may be a more severe version. And who knows whether the current set of vaccines will work against the new as yet non existent version.

Further to that, as people are supposed to self isolate there will probably be those who don't and as the Omicron version spreads quickly, we soon could have the whole country infected. Probably not severely as much of the population is vaccinated, but no vaccine is 100% effective. The Chief health officer in this state said today that we can expect that every infected person with Omicron will probably pass it on to 10 others.

Just a few days ago a 30 year old chap who was otherwise healthy, and was triple vaccinated died at home on his own, they found his body when someone called to see him.

I looked up the hiv-infection in southern Africa because you mentioned it. Lack of education and lack of medication leads to all the deaths. As a global community we need to put our heads together against this virus after the covid-19 changes and eases up. Not just responding to gay outrage.

You are so right.

But covid-19 easing up is just wish-full thinking at this stage, places like Australia and New Zealand that got on top of covid early on and had relatively low death rates, got vaccinated almost fully are both now being overtaken by it with hospital services overwhelmed.

The end is not in sight :cry:
Headlines from today's paper see https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/nat...06-p59ma3.html

I really wish the politicians in this country would stop trying to lull the population into a false sense of security, by telling them everything is OK and this will pass. Don't know what's happening elsewhere but here they are intent on opening up and suggesting we can all go about our normal business, with caution, while all the time the case numbers are climbing at an astronomical rate. To top that off people are dying, and they are not just the old and infirm. I see in today's paper another case of a fit and health young man popping off from covid. see https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-...aths/100740744

How is everyone coming about these days??