'Highest levels' of COVID-19 in community since last year, NSW Health confirms
New South Wales has seen the highest level of COVID-19 in over a year, NSW Health has confirmed.
More than 17 per cent of PCR tests are returning positive results, prompting warnings that the state is seeing the "highest level of COVID-19" in the community in a year.
Most infections are coming from Omicron-related variants, with the JN.1 variant making up 35 per cent of infections, and the EG.5 variant causing 40 per cent of infections, according to NSW Health.
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New South Wales has seen the highest level of COVID-19 in over a year, NSW Health has confirmed. Nine
"We suspect the wave is from people gathering for Christmas and New Years," Dr Jeremy McAnulty from NSW Health said.
"We know it's an unstable virus, it mutates on a regular basis.
"Those mutations have changes that get around our immune system, [which is why] we see waves every few months."
Roughly 1400 people present to the emergency department with COVID-19 each week, with 400 of them admitted for treatment.
Despite a spark in cases and emergency room patients, infections are not any more severe than the previous strains, McAnulty said.
"We don't have any evidence [to suggest] that new strains aren't any more serious, but it does make [the virus] more infectious," he told the media.
"With each wave, we see more people getting infected, but the proportion of serious disease remains the same."
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Currently, most infections are coming from Omicron-related variants. iStock
NSW Health has urged anyone with symptoms to stay home, and to stay away from vulnerable people, or places in which vulnerable people would be, such as nursing homes or disability care centres.
"You don't want to be infecting a bunch of other people, look after the people around you," McAnulty said
"We recommend that you have a PCR test if you are at high risk so the doctor can prescribe life-saving antiviral medicines for you."
Residents have also been asked to keep up-to-date with COVID-19 booster shots.
Symptoms can vary from person to person, including flu-like symptoms and fatigue.
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