Free Republic

The South African doctor who first discovered the Omicron variant says she was pressured by European governments to not reveal that it was mild.Angelique Coetzee let slip the bombshell revelation during an interview with Germany’s Welt.“I was told not to state publicly that it was a mild illness. I have been asked to refrain from making such statements and to say that it is a serious illness. I declined,” she said.Coetzee explained how under the World Health Organization’s own definition, the strain perfectly fitted the bill for a mild variant.“The definition of mild Covid-19 disease is clear, and it is...

South Africa has practiced and modeled good science and good sense. Dr. Angelique Coetzee (pronounced koot-see-a) was among the first to alert South African epidemiologists to what has now been named the omicron variant of COVID-19. Or, as dubbed here, the “OMG! variant.” A calm clinician, Coetzee had deduced that what she was seeing in her patients—and successfully treating—was a heretofore unseen COVID variant with attendant mild disease. Quickly were South Africa’s skilled and responsible epidemiologists alerted and the genetic sequencing commenced. And, voila: A mutation! Also a completely unremarkable occurrence in the annals, and course, of epidemics. As molecular...

Dr. Angelique Coetzee, board chairperson of the South Africa Medical Association (SAMA)The hard left might have a difficult time using the newly-discovered Omicron variant for fearmongering purposes. Shortly after the discovery of the COVID-19 variant, at least one top medical professional is cautioning against hyping up the severity of the mutation.Dr. Angelique Coetzee, National Chair of the South African Medical Association, and also one of those who discovered the Omicron variant early on, called the US’s travel bans “hasty,” as we reported Saturday. Then she told Reuters Sunday that “the hype” that’s been concocted about the variant is not warranted....