COVID-19 WRAP | SA records 1,306 new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours
October 02 2021 - 21:00
SA records 1,306 new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours
SA recorded 1,306 new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours, bringing the cumulative number of cases in the country to 2,905,613.
The national death toll stands at 87,753 with 48 additional deaths recorded.
The number of vaccines administered is 17,815,485.
A s of today the cumulative number of #COVID19 cases identified in SA is 2 905 613 with 1 306 new cases reported. Today 48 deaths have been reported bringing the total to 87 753 deaths. The cumulative number of recoveries now stand at 2 905 613 with a recovery rate of 95,6% pic.twitter.com/8rXGhApRcZ
— Department of Health (@HealthZA) October 2, 2021
October 02 2021 - 14:35
Merck pill seen as 'huge advance,' raises hope of preventing Covid-19 deaths
An experimental antiviral pill developed by Merck & Co could halve the chances of dying or being hospitalised for those most at risk of contracting severe Covid-19, according to data that experts hailed as a potential breakthrough in how the virus is treated.
If it gets authorisation, molnupiravir, which is designed to introduce errors into the genetic code of the virus, would be the first oral antiviral medication for Covid-19.
Merck and partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics said they plan to seek US emergency use authorisation for the pill as soon as possible and to make regulatory applications worldwide.
October 02 2021 - 14:32
Close to 6-million recipients have received the Covid-19 R350 grant since August: Sassa
The SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) has paid more than 5.6-million beneficiaries who applied for the R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant since August.
The agency told TimesLIVE on Thursday that it has received nearly 14-million applications since the grant was reintroduced in July.
Sassa continues to receive a high volume of applications and has managed to pay all approved beneficiaries while it verifies details of individuals whose applications are still pending.
Ocotober 02 2021 - 10:00
Smokers much more likely to get severe Covid-19 and die, say UK scientists
Smokers are more likely to get serious Covid-19 and die of the disease, a first-of-its-kind study has found.
UK researchers, who reported their discovery this week in the British medical journal Thorax, said active smokers have an 80% higher chance of needing to be admitted to hospital after a Covid-19 infection than those who do not smoke.
One in three SA men and one in 14 women smoke cigarettes regularly, according to the Tobacco Control Data Initiative dashboard.
October 02 2021 - 08:30
Health department says it aims to jab 500,000 people by end of weekend
Update on #VaccineRollOutSA #Vaccinated pic.twitter.com/nFinnWUks7
— Department of Health (@HealthZA) September 30, 2021