Your Covid-19 questions answered

With the regulations lifted, what are the recommendations for controlling Covid-19?

25 July 2022 - 07:00
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The NICD says vaccines remain the most effective method to prevent and control severe Covid-19. Stock photo.
The NICD says vaccines remain the most effective method to prevent and control severe Covid-19. Stock photo.
Image: 123RF/ktsdesign

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) says vaccines remain the most effective method to prevent and control severe Covid-19 after the lifting of regulations. 

The NICD stressed people eligible for vaccines must get shots and boosters as indicated in the national programme. 

“A South African study found among individuals vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the effectiveness against hospitalisation for Covid-19 was 74% at 14 to 27 days post-vaccination, and 72% at one to two months.

“Among people receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the effectiveness was 88% at 14 to 27 days post-vaccination, 70% at one to two months, 71% at three to four months, and 67% at five months or longer, indicating very high protection against severe disease,” said the NICD. 

“Even in people who have had previous infection with SARS-CoV-2 vaccination has been shown to confer substantial protective benefit against severe disease and death.”

Individuals at increased risk of severe Covid-19 

Individuals who have an increased risk of severe Covid-19 illness requiring hospitalisation, assistance to help them breathe or admission to an intensive care unit and death are the following;

• Older individuals - the risk of severe illness increases with increasing age. The risk increases for people in their 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. People aged 85 years and older are the most likely to suffer severe disease; 

• Individuals with chronic underlying conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, heart or lung disease, kidney or liver disease, neurologic disease and obesity; 

• People living with HIV, particularly individuals whose disease is not well controlled with  antiretroviral treatment. 

• Individuals with tuberculosis .

• People receiving immunosuppressive treatment, for example cancer patients.

• Pregnant women.

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