Is the Covid epidemic in Australia finally coming to an end? Experts say new infections could level off – offering silver lining for millions
- Covid-19 infections could level off despite increase in cases, epidemiologists say
- NSW among states that could see case numbers peak next week before plunging
- The spike in cases comes as the condition includes the results of the rapid antigen test in the daily tally
Covid-19 infections could soon start to level off despite a growing number of cases across Australia, several leading epidemiologists have said.
University of Melbourne physicist Dr Christopher Billington said NSW was quickly approaching the peak of its current outbreak despite the state reporting a record 92,264 cases on Thursday.
“Despite the recent mess of data [has been], any reasonable assumption on the fraction of infections captured leads to the same conclusion: that the virus will soon not have enough potential hosts to continue to spread with positive growth, ”he said.
Covid-19 infections may soon start to level off despite growing number of cases across Australia, several leading epidemiologists have said
NSW continued to break pandemic records with daily cases continuing to rise with 92,264 recorded Thursday, 34,759 Wednesday and 25,870 Tuesday
NSW continued to break pandemic records, with daily cases continuing to rise with 92,264 recorded on Thursday, 34,759 on Wednesday and 25,870 on Tuesday.
The large increase was attributed to the inclusion of rapid antigen test results in the daily count.
Some 61,000 of the new positive cases announced Thursday were from RAT, with 50,729 collected in the past seven days.
Infections in Victoria also rose to 37,169 on Thursday with 16,843 RATs.
Catherine Bennett, of Deakin University, said there would be a “catch-up increase” in the daily tally before the number of cases finally started to drop.
“It is certainly not increasing like it has been,” she said.
Australian National University epidemiologists Peter Collignon said the state will likely reach its peak next week.
He agreed that RATs should be included in the daily tally as they help health authorities track the spread of the virus.
“But to a certain extent, this is why the hospitalization and [intensive care admissions] are the most important cases to review, ”Professor Collignon told the Australian Financial Review.
An infectious disease expert at the Kirby Institute, Professor Greg Dore, predicted that the peak in Omicron cases would be seen on Thursday.
Some 61,000 of the new positive cases announced Thursday were from RAT, with 50,729 collected in the past seven days (pictured, empty shelves in supermarkets caused by staff shortages)
“Lots of uncertainties around Covid, but NSW Omicron surge cases will peak definitively tomorrow,” he tweeted on Wednesday evening.
NSW this week introduced fines of $ 1,000 for people who do not report positive RAT results.
This is despite the fact that Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello admits it will be “nearly impossible” to enforce.
“It’s going to be almost impossible to enforce in a lot of ways,” he told Nine Network.
“But the majority of states and territories in the country have chosen to impose a fine or put a fine in place – Tasmania, South Australia, Northern Territory, ACT – and some have taken the other route by simply saying s’ please do this. ‘
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