HEALTH - The African Mirror

Jul

26

2020

6th South African cabinet minister gets COVID-19

COVID-19

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER A sixth member of South African president Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet has contracted COVID-19. Ebrahim Patel, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition has gone into self-quarantine and will work from home, the South African presidency has announced. In a statement, the presidency said Patel, who took part in a virtual parliamentary budget vote a day before he got his results, was ok. “Minister Patel is in good spirits and is in self-quarantine, and will continue to work from home. Those that have been in contact with the minister are also in self-isolation and have been encouraged to…

Jul

26

2020

By The African Mirror

Antibody tests aren’t a COVID-19 panacea. But they’re a useful additional tool

COVID-19

EFTYHIA VARDAS, Clinical specialist Virology, Stellenbosch University AS the COVID-19 pandemic escalates, South Africa is struggling to keep up with the demand for testing. This has pushed laboratory professionals and clinicians to consider using alternative tests that are commonly used to diagnose and detect exposure to other viral infectious diseases. The Conversation Africa’s Ina Skosana asked Professor Eftyhia Vardas to explain what’s being done. What’s the most commonly used test? Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests are the standard means of diagnosing viral respiratory infections. It is a molecular test that detects the viral genetic material that indicates the presence of…

Jul

26

2020

By The African Mirror

COVID-19, big breakthroughs and missed targets

HEALTH

LINDA-GAIL BEKKER, Professor of medicine and deputy director of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre at the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town THIS year saw the first ever AIDS conference to be held entirely online. The 23rd International AIDS Conference, the largest convergence of HIV researchers, implementers, advocates and policy people, should have taken place in Oakland/San Francisco in July 2020. But amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the International Conference Committee had to switch to a virtual platform just four months before the planned date. Staging this complex conference in all time zones with fair…

Jul

25

2020

By The African Mirror

Senegal strengthens coronavirus testing for travellers

COVID-19

SENEGAL is strengthening its coronavirus testing capacity to enable travellers to get tested before leaving the country and testing those arriving in the West African state. Senegal, which depends on tourism for around 4% of GDP, has reported 9,422 cases since the outbreak, with 182 deaths. It lifted a ban on international flights from July 15 but said it will apply the principle of reciprocity to travellers from countries that do not allow citizens from Senegal. Around 1.7 million people holidayed in Senegal in 2019. The health ministry has accredited four testing centres in the capital Dakar, from only one…

Jul

24

2020

By The African Mirror

15 Zambian MPs, 11 parliamentary staff contract COVID-19

COVID-19

FIFTEEN members of the Zambian parliament and 11 members of staff have tested positive for COVID-19, the health minister has announced. The infection of the MPs and staff comes days after the assembly suspended sittings because a lawmaker had died of the respiratory disease. Zambia's coronavirus cases have surged to 3,856 from 1,632 at the beginning of July, with deaths rising to 136 from 30 over the same period, minister Chitalu Chilufya told reporters. The heavily indebted southern African country, the No. 2 copper producer on the continent, is bracing for an economic contraction of over 4% this year because…

Jul

24

2020

By The African Mirror

Kenya COVID-19 hospital gears up for surge in new infections

COVID-19

BAZ RATNER AT the Machakos COVID-19 field hospital about an hour's drive from the Kenyan capital, workers struggle to put a giant metal tent frame in place to serve as a new ward. Machakos county, which has 92 active cases of the virus, has already met the required minimum of 300 beds per county for COVID-19 patients, set by the national government. But as national figures surge, Machakos is preparing for more infections. Positive cases in Kenya have nearly doubled in the last two weeks to 15,601, mirroring a continental surge. Africa topped 750,000 cases on Wednesday. "When you see…

Jul

24

2020

By The African Mirror

How Tanzania’s spousal escort policy frustrates antenatal health care

HEALTH

STEPHEN MALUKA, Senior Lecturer, Institute of Development Studies, University of Dar es Salaam GOOD care during pregnancy is important for the health of mothers and the development of unborn babies. Antenatal care contributes to a woman’s overall good health as well as linking her and her family to the health system, and increasing her chances of using a skilled attendant at birth. The World Health Organisation (WHO) puts great store on care during pregnancy because, by its own estimates, 25% of maternal deaths occur during pregnancy. But antenatal care isn’t the norm for millions of women across Africa. In Tanzania,…

Jul

24

2020

By The African Mirror

South Africa’s COVID-19 billions reaching recipients – Ramaphosa

COVID-19

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER THE billions aimed at providing relief to millions of South Africans facing economic hardships as a result of the COVID-19 shutdowns are reaching its desired recipients, President Cyril Ramaphosa has revealed. In April, the South African government announced an R500-billion social relief and economic support package as its coronavirus response and assist businesses, workers, and households. Ramaphhosa said that over 4.4-million people have now received the special COVID-19 grant, which assists those who are unemployed and do not receive other forms of support. “So far, an amount of R2.2-billion has been paid out to these recipients. There…

Jul

23

2020

By The African Mirror

Spiralling COVID-19 infection rate forces South Africa to close schools

COVID-19

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER IN a desperate measure to slow down the rising COVID-19 infections, South Africa is closing public schools for four weeks and extending the school year beyond 2020. This drastic measure was announced by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in a special address to the nation and comes after pressure from teacher unions and school governing bodies for school to be closed during a period when infections are expected to rise dramatically. At 408 052 infections, South Africa ranks fifth among the worst hit countries in the world. Over 6 000 people have died from COVID-19. Ramaphosa announced…

Jul

23

2020

By The African Mirror

South Africa’s 59% excess deaths imply hidden COVID-19 toll

COVID-19

TIM COCKS SOUTH Africa witnessed some 17,000 extra deaths from natural causes or 59% more than would normally be expected between early May and mid-July, scientists said. This suggests that more people are dying of COVID-19 than shown in official figures. New data by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) showed that just in the week leading up to July 14 there was an excess of 5,022 deaths by natural causes, about half more than usual. Africa's most industrialised nation is in the middle of a runaway epidemic of the coronavirus, with cases increasing by more than 10,000 a…