COVID-19 WRAP | Scientists detect rising Covid-19 in rural waste water

December 17 2021 - 16:25

Scientists detect rapidly rising Covid-19 fragments in rural waste water

The SA Medical Research Council’s (SAMRC) waste water surveillance team has detected rapidly rising concentrations of Covid-19 fragments in samples collected from facilities in rural areas.

The concentrations of non-infectious fragments are rising rapidly in all the rural waste water treatment facilities monitored by the SAMRC waste water surveillance team.

“This holds true for rural sites around the country, including in Limpopo, the Eastern Cape and Western Cape,” said Dr Renée Street, a member of the team. 

December 17 2021 - 16:07

God’s Church Must Rise protests against mandatory Covid vaccinations

A group from God’s Church Must Rise (GCMR) is demanding the public and private sector stop “harassing” workers to provide Covid-19 vaccine certificates.

Convener Bishop Timothy Bheki Ngcobo said about 150 supporters on Friday joined the motorcade demonstration moving from Tsakane in Ekurhuleni to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to submit a petition and memorandum against mandatory vaccinations. He expected more people to join them in Pretoria.

“It’s against our constitution. We want the private and public sectors to stop harassing workers about vaccine certificates,” he said.

December 17 2021 - 15:35

RECORDED | Health minister Joe Phaahla briefs media on latest Covid-19 developments in SA

Health minister Dr Joe Phaahla and his deputy Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo are briefing the media virtually on Friday regarding Covid-19 developments and the vaccination programme in SA.

On Thursday, the department revealed the country’s lockdown restrictions will stay at level 1 as the country heads into the holiday season.

The national coronavirus command council has decided to maintain the existing restrictions despite a surge in confirmed Covid-19 cases as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus continues to spread.

December 17 2021 - 14:23

As a vaper, am I more at risk of Covid-19?

While studies into the relationship between Covid-19 and vaping are ongoing, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has noted factors that could lead to smokers contracting the virus or making its symptoms more severe.

Studies have found vaping is harmful and increases the risk of heart disease and lung disorders, making you more vulnerable to the coronavirus.

“Given that the Covid-19 virus affects the respiratory tract, the hand-to-mouth action of e-cigarette use may increase the risk of infection,” it said.

December 17 2021 - 11:35

93% of recent Covid-19 deaths either unvaxxed or partly vaccinated: NICD

Most Covid-19 patients who died in SA hospitals since mid-November were unvaccinated or partly vaccinated.

National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) public health specialist Dr Waasila Jassat said data on the 400 patients who died was incomplete, but about 93% were not fully vaccinated.

Jassat was speaking during a health department media briefing on Friday in which it also emerged that an announcement is imminent on the approval of booster shots for people who have had the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine.

December 17 2021 - 09:26

Covid hospitalisations up 70% in past week, but actual numbers very low

Omicron is in more than 76 countries across the globe, and in SA Covid-19 hospitalisations have seen a rapid 70% increase in the past week.

However, absolute numbers remain relatively low, and while the number of infections is rising quickly in every province, in Gauteng they are coming down.

This is according to health minister Joe Phaahla, who hosted a briefing on Friday morning.

December 17 2021 - 08:24

Vaccines for Africa: SA gives continent 2m doses worth R289m

SA is giving 2-million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to African countries in 2022.

The R289m gift of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccines produced at the Aspen Pharma plant in Gqeberha was announced on Friday by the presidency and the African Vaccination Acquisition Trust.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said: “This donation embodies SA’s solidarity with our brothers and sisters on the continent with whom we are united in fighting an unprecedented threat to public health and economic prosperity.”

December 17 2021 - 05:00

Pubs, parties push Australia's Covid-19 cases to record levels

Australian authorities on Friday rushed to track down hundreds who attended a Taylor Swift album party in Sydney last week that has become a super-spreading event as cases in the country hit a new pandemic high for the second straight day.

Covid-19 infections, including the new, more transmissible Omicron variant, have been spreading in pubs and nightclubs as social distancing curbs ease after higher vaccination levels.

Despite the surge in cases, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia had entered "a different phase of the pandemic" and ruled out lockdowns to contain the spread of the virus.

"Case numbers are no longer the metric ... the real measure is what does it mean for serious illness, (intensive care), hospitalisation, pressures on the hospital system," Morrison said during a media briefing on Friday.

He said initial signs suggest the Omicron variant could be less severe than other variants.

At least 97 cases, including some potential Omicron ones, have been detected among people who attended the Taylor Swift theme party. More than 600 people who checked in at the venue must test and self-isolate but officials flagged there could have been more guests.

A record 3,820 cases were reported in Australia on Friday, with the bulk in its most populous states of New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria, exceeding the previous high of around 3,400 a day earlier.

NSW authorities have warned daily cases could hit 25,000 in the state by the end of January with authorities looking to accelerate the rollout of booster vaccine shots to ward off the threat from the Omicron strain.

Health officials blamed gatherings at pubs and clubs for the "rapid rise" in cases. "Some of these have led to super-spreading events," NSW health official Jeremy McAnulty said.

Neighbouring Victoria, meanwhile, is on alert after an Omicron-infected person attended a busy pub and hotel in Melbourne. Australia has reported around 243,000 cases and 2,134 deaths since the pandemic began.

-REUTERS