COVID-19 WRAP | SA records 8,988 new Covid-19 cases

August 03 2021 — 19:10

555 new Covid-19 deaths recorded in SA in 24 hours

There were 555 new Covid-19 deaths recorded in the past 24 hours, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases said on Tuesday.

In the same period, there were 8,988 new infections recorded, at a positivity rate of 19.8%.

This means that there have been 72,992 fatalities and 2,470,746 cases recorded across SA to date.

August 03 2021 — 16:05

Military nurses dance to bring cheer to patients battling Covid-19

The lyrics of the hugely popular It Ain’t Me remix sounded through the halls of 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria when ICU nurses put on a dance performance to bring cheer to patients fighting Covid-19 and to uplift their own spirits.

Dressed in scrubs and personal protective equipment, the nurses can be seen in a video clip dancing to the song which has gone viral on social media platforms including TikTok and Instagram.

August 03 2021 — 14:04

Covid-19 herd immunity is not going to happen, so what next?

Any notion that Covid-19 was going to last for a few months was very much misplaced in 2020. After it was recognised the SARS-CoV-2 virus was largely spread through the airborne route, all indications were it would cause repeat bouts of waves. This is what happened during the flu epidemic of 1918.

In addition, very few scientists predicted we would see the type of mutations that occurred over such a short period. This has resulted in the virus becoming both more transmissible and more able to evade immune responses.

The evolution of the virus has been so rapid that the Delta variant, which is currently dominating the world, is at least twice as transmissible as the ancestral virus that was circulating.

August 03 2021 — 13:09

China races to contain delta variant as Covid outbreak spreads

Provinces across China have imposed tougher restrictions in an effort to contain the country’s worst coronavirus outbreak in months, with health officials attributing the surge in Covid-19 infections to the highly contagious Delta variant. Authorities reported 328 symptomatic infections in July – almost equal to the total number of local cases from February to June.

August 03 2021 — 12:30

Covid locks women out of the job market in India

The second wave of the coronavirus pandemic has put millions of people in India out of work, with women bearing the brunt of the losses.

August 03 2021 — 11:50

Delta variant cases surge in Australia

New South Wales reported 199 locally acquired cases of Covid-19 and the state’s premier said curbs could be eased if half the population is vaccinated by the time the lockdown is due to end

August 03 2021 — 11:15

Sanofi bets on mRNA vaccines beyond Covid-19 in $3.2bn Translate Bio deal

Sanofi has agreed to buy US biotech company Translate Bio in a $3.2 billion deal, as it bets on next-generation mRNA vaccine technology beyond the Covid-19 pandemic, confirming a Reuters exclusive report.

Sanofi said it would acquire all outstanding shares of Translate Bio for $38.00 per share in cash, representing a total equity value of about $3.2 billion.

The boards of both companies have approved the deal, and the CEO of Translate Bio and the US company's largest shareholder have backed it, Sanofi and Translate Bio said in a joint statement.

Shares in the French pharmaceuticals company edged up 0.3% in early morning trade.”

Translate Bio adds an mRNA technology platform and strong capabilities to our research, further advancing our ability to explore the promise of this technology to develop both best-in-class vaccines and therapeutics,” Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson said.

Sanofi's offer of $38 represented a 30.4% premium on the New York-listed company's Aug. 2 closing share price.

Translate Bio's stock soared more than 70% to above $50 in extended trading on Monday following the Reuters report.

INFLUENZA

Sanofi's bid for Translate Bio marks the latest interest by a large pharmaceutical company in mRNA technology, following its proven success in Covid-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer /BioNTech and Moderna.

Analysts said the price made strategic sense, a long-term wager on mRNA vaccine technology beyond Covid-19 by one of the world's top flu vaccine makers.”

Since Covid-19, mRNA vaccines have made a big impact on the future of vaccine R&D and the most obvious target for next generation mRNA vaccines is influenza,” Liberum wrote in a briefing note.

The messenger RNA (ribonucleic acid) approach, an area of Translate Bio expertise, instructs human cells to make specific proteins that produce an immune response to a given disease.

Sanofi and Translate Bio joined forces last year to develop an mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccine.

Reuters

August 03 2021 — 10:53

Most Northern Cape primary schools not able to operate at full capacity

Only 79 out of 424 primary schools in the Northern Cape will be able to return to normal timetable attendance, says the provincial department of education.

Department spokesperson Geoffrey van der Merwe said several schools in the province needed additional furniture, extra teachers and adequate supplies of water to ensure full compliance with Covid-19 protocols and guidelines.

“The main challenge is maintaining the mandatory 1.5m social distancing requirement for pupils. 

“This will require additional classroom space and teaching staff, for which the department is not able to budget,” Van der Merwe said.

​He said in addition, Covid-19 infections were on the increase in some districts.

The department would continue with the differentiated timetable model and the differentiated risk adjusted strategy adopted for the education sector.

August 03 2021 — 10:30

Tougher terms: why the EU is paying more for new Covid-19 shots

The European Union has agreed to pay a premium on new orders of Covid-19 vaccines because it is requiring tougher terms to be met, European officials said, as the bloc tries to protect supplies after a rocky start to its vaccination campaign. 

The higher price is less than the US has agreed to pay in its latest order in July.

On Sunday, the Financial Times reported the EU has agreed to pay Pfizer and BioNTech 19.5 euros ($23.1) for each of their Covid-19 shots under a contract signed in May for up to 1.8 billion doses, up from the 15.5 euros per dose under two initial supply contracts for a total of 600 million vaccines.

August 03 2021 — 09:30

Another reason to get the Covid-19 jab: Wimpy will give you a free coffee

In an effort to get more citizens vaccinated against Covid-19, Wimpy is offering a free filter coffee to customers who present proof of their Covid-19 vaccination.

The fast-food chain launched the initiative at the weekend, urging the country to get the jab. 

The “Say YAAAS to the future” initiative applies at all Wimpys in more than 450 locations.

August 03 2021 — 09:00

India's worst-hit Maharashtra eases Covid-19 curbs as infections abate

India's industrial hub of Maharashtra state eased Covid-19 restrictions in most districts on Tuesday, including in the financial capital of Mumbai, after a steady decline in new cases.

Shops, malls and parks were allowed to open for longer and offices were allowed to operate at full capacity.

However, cinemas, schools and places of worship will remain closed, according to a state government notice late on Monday.

Maharashtra has been the worst-affected state in India's Covid-19 outbreak, accounting for more than 6 million of the 31.7 million cases.

At the peak of a second wave of infections driven by the Delta variant of the virus in April and May, state authorities imposed restrictions on movements and only let essential shops open.

But as cases have declined in recent weeks, there has been pressure on authorities to ease the restrictions.

Mumbai's suburban train network, that ferries more than 8 million people a day, remained shut as fears of a new outbreak loomed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has warned states not to open up too fast and to watch out for overcrowding.

India reported 30,549 new cases of the coronavirus in the past 24 hours, the government said in a statement on Tuesday, the lowest in two weeks, but many health experts are wary about new surges with the vaccination rate still low.

“Our models now predict that the infections are now likely to be rising again with a small bump, and not a towering peak towards the end of this month,” Bhramar Mukherjee, an epidemiologist at the University of Michigan, was quoted as saying by the online news publication the Print.

“But the more prominent third wave peak appears to be on the horizon some time about November,” Mukherjee said.

India has been the second-most hard-hit country in the world with its 31.7 million coronavirus infections, trailing only the US. India has had 425,195 deaths. 

Reuters

August 03 2021 — 08:33

Olympics-Greece pulls artistic swimming team after four Covid-19 cases

Greece have withdrawn from the Tokyo Olympics artistic swimming competitions after four of their athletes tested positive for Covid-19, the Greek Olympic Committee (HOC) said on Tuesday.

One athlete tested positive on Monday while another three returned positive tests on Tuesday, ruling the team out and forcing the athletes into quarantine.

“The team from the very first day it entered the village has not come into contact with any other member of the Greek Olympic team for obvious reasons,” the HOC said.

All athletes are under tight restrictions once they arrive in Japan as the country struggles with record numbers of infections and the Games are held without spectators.

Tokyo Olympics organisers on Tuesday reported 18 new Games-related Covid-19 cases, bringing the total since July 1 to 294. 

Reuters

August 03 2021 — 07:50

Sydney's ticket out of Covid-19 lockdown? Six million shots

Australia's New South Wales, home to Sydney, said on Tuesday it could ease a Covid-19 lockdown that demands five million people stay at home until the end of August if 50% of the population is vaccinated, even as new infections linger near a 16-month high.

A lifting of restrictions in New South Wales, the country's most populous state, would be a boost for Prime Minister Scott Morrison, under intense pressure  for his government's handling of the vaccine rollout, with the threat of a second economic recession in as many years looming.

New South Wales, which accounts for a third of all activity in Australia's A$2 trillion ($1.47 trillion) economy, has struggled to contain a surge of cases of the highly infectious Delta variant in Sydney, the country's biggest city, despite the lockdown, now due to be lifted on Aug. 29.

While New South Wales on Tuesday reported another 199 locally acquired Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours — near a 16-month high of 239 infections recorded in one day last week — state Premier Gladys Berejiklian said curbs could be eased if six million people are vaccinated by the time the lockdown is due to end.

“Six million jabs is roughly half the population with at least one or two doses,” Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney.

“That gives us additional options as to what life looks like on 29 August.”

Berejiklian didn't say exactly how many in New South Wales were fully vaccinated as of Tuesday, but said the state is on course to meet its vaccination target.

She cautioned the number of people in the community while infectious would also need to come down.

Though Australia has largely kept its Covid-19 numbers relatively low, with just over 34,500 cases and 925 deaths, its national vaccination rollout has hit several roadblocks due to changing medical advice on AstraZeneca doses over blood clot concerns and supply constraints for Pfizer inoculation.

The target in New South Wales comes just days after national premier Morrison promised lockdowns would be “less likely” once the country inoculates 70% of its population above 16 years of age — a long way from the current 19% level.

Morrison expects to hit the 70% mark by the end of the year.

On Tuesday Morrison rejected the idea of offering people financial incentives to boost vaccination rates.”

If do have hesitancy about vaccine, I am not going to pay them off,” Morrison told reporters in Canberra.

The PM on Tuesday also released the modelling behind the national strategy, showing Australia would need to vaccinate seven in every 10 people to be able to control the spread of the virus without lockdowns that are economically damaging.

The lockdown of Sydney is expected to see the Australian economy shrink in the current quarter, and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has warned the length of the stay-at-home orders will determine whether a recession can be avoided.

Despite the ongoing threat to the economy, the Reserve Bank of Australia on Tuesday said it would stick with its plan to taper bond buying from September, contravening marketing expectations.

Meanwhile, Queensland state said on Tuesday it has reported 16 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, the highest daily number of new cases in a year.

Reuters

August 03 2021 — 07:30

UK boosts incentives for Covid-19 vaccinations

The UK government is backing moves it hopes will help overcome hesitancy among young people about getting the Covid-19 vaccine.

It involves discounts offered to vaccinated people by companies like Uber and Deliveroo.

But there is growing disquiet about another of its plans — domestic vaccine passports — which, critics say, amounts to coercing the young.

August 03 2021 — 07:10

How often should I replace my mask?

It has been well over a year since we have had to adjust to the “new normal”, and correct mask protocol can still be tricky. 

While some may have a mask they keep at the door or in the car to wear when they go out, experts have warned that we should be changing our masks like we change our underwear — every time we wear it.

“You will need two masks so that you can wash one and wear one. Wash your mask daily with soap and hot water. The mask is best dried in the sun and ironed. Do not share your mask with anyone,” the National Institute for Communicable Diseases says,

August 03 2021 — 06:30

New Zealand PM Ardern tests negative for Covid-19

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's Covid-19 Test result is negative, a government spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday.

Ardern had stepped back from her duties on Tuesday after picking up a “seasonal sniffle” from her three-year-old daughter. She had taken a Covid-19 Test earlier in the day as a precautionary measure.

Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson stood in for Ardern and took on all her responsibilities for the day.

New Zealand is largely free of coronavirus and has had no cases in the community since February. 

Reuters

August 03 2021 — 06:15

Japan will only hospitalise most serious Covid-19 cases as infections surge

Japan will focus on hospitalising patients who are seriously ill with Covid-19 and those at risk of becoming so while others isolate at home, officials said, amid worries about a strained medical system as cases surge in Olympics host city Tokyo.

The country has seen a sharp increase in coronavirus cases, and is recording more than 10,000 daily new infections nationwide. Tokyo had a record high of 4,058 on Saturday.

Fewer elderly people, most of whom are vaccinated, are getting infected, Chief cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told reporters.

“On the other hand, infections of younger people are increasing and people in their 40s and 50s with severe symptoms are rising,” he said.

“With people also being admitted to hospital with heat stroke, some people are not able to immediately get admitted and are recovering at home.”

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, announcing the change on Monday, said the government would ensure that people isolating at home can be hospitalised if necessary.

Previous policy had focused on hospitalising a broader category of high-risk patients.

Some worry the shift could lead to more deaths, and opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yukio Edano blasted change.

“They call it in-home treatment but it's actually in-home abandonment,” NHK public TV quoted him as saying.

Japan on Monday expanded its state of emergency to include three prefectures near Tokyo and the western prefecture of Osaka. An existing emergency in Tokyo — its fourth since the pandemic began — and Okinawa is now set to last through Aug. 31.

The country has avoided a devastating outbreak of the virus, with about 932,000 total cases and just over 15,000 deaths as of Sunday.

Reuters

August 03 2021 — 06:10

Why vaccines, not drugs, are our only possible way out of the pandemic

This article is, perhaps surprisingly, not about the evidence about the usefulness of ivermectin to prevent or treat Covid-19.

Up to Monday July 26, there were 75 clinical trials on the use of ivermectin for Covid-19 listed on the US National Library of Medicine’s ClinicalTrials.gov, the authoritative global database for all registered and approved clinical trials.

Most are still ongoing and there will undoubtedly be others registered in the near future, so we are probably still a long way off from the last word on that topic. But I came to the realisation that that is not the point.

Even if these trials demonstrate fantastic success of ivermectin, or any other drug, in the prevention and/or treatment of Covid-19, such drugs will not provide us with a way out of the pandemic.

August 03 2021 — 06:00

‘What are we supposed to do?’ ask schools after mixed one-metre advice

There was widespread confusion over the implementation of the one-metre social distancing requirement in the classroom, as all primary school pupils returned to class on a full-time basis on Monday.

Gauteng principals said this was triggered by a provincial education department official informing them during a virtual meeting on July 22 not to “strictly enforce” the one-metre rule.

The official indicated that 507 township schools in the province would not be able to return to the traditional daily timetable if the one-metre requirement was followed.

The confusion also stemmed from advice given to the department of basic education by the ministerial advisory committee (MAC), which stated that “ideally, all children should be at least one metre apart within classrooms, but where this is not possible, full capacity schooling should still be commenced”.