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Some health officials are calling it a hopeful sign that the first people known to be infected with the Omicron variant have had mild symptoms of COVID-19, although they warned it is still far too early to understand the implications of the newest coronavirus variant of concern.

A report issued over the weekend by the South African Medical Research Council said most of the patients in a Pretoria hospital who are believed to be infected with Omicron weren’t hospitalized because they had COVID-19 but for another medical reason.

Of the 42 patients, about 70% of them have no trouble breathing and do not need oxygen support.

“This is a picture that has not been seen in previous waves,” the report said; even at the start of previous waves, most hospitalized COVID patients have had trouble breathing. Still, “more time is required to fully answer the questions about the severity of COVID-19 caused by the new Omicron variant.”

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