COVID-19 - The African Mirror

Sep

13

2021

Rural residents get COVID jab

COVID-19, MULTIMEDIA

BARRY CHRISTIANSON FOR the month of July, the rural village of Mbotyi in the Ingquza Hill Municipality in the Eastern Cape has been home to the non-profit Right to Care’s (RTC) rural vaccination team. The team of about 35 consists of drivers, nurses, project managers, data capturers, IT specialists, pharmacists and an emergency medicine specialist. After helping the Eastern Cape Department of Health with vaccinations during the Sisonke Study period, RTC has focused its efforts on vaccinating the deep rural areas of the Eastern Cape. Wendy Ovens, who is running the pilot project, chose the Ingquza Hill Municipality as its…

Aug

02

2022

By The African Mirror

How COVID-19 lockdown measures — and their outcomes — varied in cities around the world

COVID-19

DURING the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese cities have repeatedly imposed lockdowns following their central government’s stubborn pursuit of Zero-COVID. But lockdowns weren’t limited to authoritarian regimes such as China. Many democracies also imposed some form of lockdowns to curb virus transmission. How effective were they? Was it worth it? And who was the most adversely affected? Authors ROGER KEIL, Professor, Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, York University, Canada PHILIP HARRISON, Professor School of Architecture and Planning, University of the Witwatersrand XUEFEI REN, Professor, Sociology and Global Urban Studies, Michigan State University These are meaningful questions to reflect on, especially as…

Aug

11

2022

By The African Mirror

Women have always trailed men in research output: how COVID made the situation worse

COVID-19

THE under-representation of women in research is well documented. Emerging evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this inequality and disrupted the research enterprise globally. But none of these studies, mainly from the global north, provide detailed explanations for the scale of this decline. Our research offers the first comprehensive study to shed light on the complex reasons for the decline in research during the pandemic-enforced lockdown. Authors CYRILL WALTERS, Research fellow, Stellenbosch University ARMAND BAM, Head of Social Impact and Senior Lecturer, Business School, Stellenbosch University PATRIZIO PIRAINO, Economist, University of Notre Dame We surveyed 2,029 women academics…

Aug

05

2022

By The African Mirror

South Africa reports first death causally linked to COVID vaccine

COVID-19

SOUTH Africa's health regulator reported a causal link between the death of an individual and Johnson & Johnson's (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine, the first time such a direct link has been made in the country. The person presented with rare neurological disorder Guillain-Barre Syndrome soon after being given J&J's Janssen vaccine, after which the person was put on a ventilator and later died, senior scientists told a news conference. "At the time of illness no other cause for the Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) could be identified," Professor Hannelie Meyer said. The person's age and other personal details were not disclosed for confidentiality reasons.…

Jul

28

2022

By The African Mirror

Centaurus: what we know about the new COVID variant and why there’s no cause for alarm

COVID-19

A new COVID variant has recently been detected in several countries including the UK, US, India, Australia and Germany. Called BA.2.75, it’s a subvariant of omicron. You might have also heard it called “Centaurus”, the name of a constellation and given to BA.2.75 by a Twitter user. The World Health Organization has classified BA.2.75 as a variant of interest, rather than a variant of concern. This means it’s being monitored but there’s not yet evidence it will cause problems. The numbers of BA.2.75 infections are still relatively low. Most infections in the UK remain driven by the omicron subvariants BA.4…

Jul

13

2022

By The African Mirror

COVID gives the fight against malaria, NTDs a shot in the arm

COVID-19

SETH ONYANGO, BIRD STORY AGENCY AT the Kigali Summit last month, states, donors and pharmaceutical pledged over US$4 billion of new funding to end malaria and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). It was the first in a series of commitments to bolster progress against the aforementioned diseases in Africa where malaria still kills thousands. Nature journal analysis shows there were an estimated 241 million cases of malaria and 627,000 deaths globally, with 95 per cent of these cases reported in Africa. But this could change as governments, using lessons learned to battle coronavirus, cooperate and adapt healthcare systems in an invigorated…

Jul

02

2022

By FRANCISCA MUTAPI

Five actions to prepare African countries better for the next pandemic

COVID-19

GLOBALLY, cases of COVID-19 and related deaths are lower in June 2022 than they were at the beginning of the year. But the infection numbers are rising. Africa is no exception. The past two years have caused unimaginable disruption of normal life. And these disruptions continue to delay the recovery of economies and health systems in Africa. To meet the continuing health system challenges and avoid the same fate in future pandemics, African countries must take bold actions to repair their health systems and make them more resilient. The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response set up by the…

Jun

25

2022

By The African Mirror

Somali president tests positive for COVID-19

COVID-19

SOMALI President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said he had tested positive for COVID-19 and was in self-isolation. Abdikarim Ali Kaar, Mohamud's spokesperson, said the president had returned to Somalia on Friday from a trip to the United Arab Emirates. The official Somali president's Twitter account shows a video of him meeting the president of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, with both men wearing masks, dated June 22. He also met Somalis based in the UAE. "My fellow citizens, I would like to inform you that today I tested positive for COVID-19. So far, I have no symptoms but I…

Jun

28

2022

By The African Mirror

Male voices dominated South African COVID reporting: that has to change

COVID-19

THE onset of the COVID pandemic and the many months of uncertainty, anxiety and push for scientific breakthroughs sent journalists all over the world on the hunt for expert voices. They wanted sources who could explain to audiences what was happening and why. Authors MARINA JOUBERT, Science Communication Researcher, Stellenbosch University LARS GUENTHER, Postdoc in Science Communication at University of Hamburg; Extraordinary Associate Professor at Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch University LILI RADEMAN, PhD candidate in Science and Technology Studies, Stellenbosch University Research has shown that when journalists look for sources, they often focus on already visible – and accessible – experts…

Jun

24

2022

By ALEXANDER WINNING and ANAIT MIRIDZHANIAN

South Africa repeals COVID rules as fifth wave fades

COVID-19

ALEXANDER WINNING and ANAIT MIRIDZHANIAN SOUTH AFRICA has repealed COVID-19 rules that made masks mandatory in indoor public spaces, limited the size of gatherings and imposed entry requirements at its borders, the health minister said on Thursday. South Africa has recorded the most coronavirus cases and deaths on the African continent, with over 3.9 million confirmed infections and more than 101,000 deaths. Minister Joe Phaahla said authorities had noted a decline in cases, hospitalisations and reported deaths and concluded that a limited fifth wave was dissipating. "The COVID-19 virus is not yet gone, ... we are just stronger than before…