Omicron Surge Overwhelms Casablanca Emergency Rooms, ICUs Stable

It is one of the most affected cities in Morocco, with the highest number of Covid-19 cases, reports Le Matin, specifying that consultations in the emergency room are increasing on a daily basis.

Questioned, Dr. Moulay Saïd Afif, member of the Scientific and Technical Vaccination Committee, indicated that the situation was already anticipated given "the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant, which will soon be dominant in our country", estimating that the situation is even more difficult in Casablanca, which is at the top of the cities recording the highest number of cases daily.

According to another source contacted by the newspaper, the situation is still under control at the Casablanca University Hospital with "about fifteen patients admitted to intensive care, including children and pregnant women." On the other hand, she specified, the emergency services are experiencing a strong increase in consultation requests.

The same source mentioned two important factors: the sharp rise in Covid-19 cases in our country, and then the change observed in the symptoms of the Omicron variant. "The symptoms observed in Covid patients currently are almost similar to those of seasonal flu and it is very difficult to distinguish between the two," she stressed.

Another observation, the problem arises essentially among unvaccinated subjects who present more difficult to manage symptoms, noted the same source, according to whom these people are more at risk of developing severe forms of the disease, and if necessary, of being admitted to intensive care. Moreover, she noted, almost all the patients admitted to intensive care at the Casablanca University Hospital are either unvaccinated or have not received their third dose.

On this point, Dr. Afif emphasized the importance of vaccination against seasonal flu, which is making a strong comeback this year due, in particular, to the phenomenon of immune debt. This phenomenon, he explained, implies that due to lack of exposure to winter viruses, individuals have become less immune.