Covid-19 Daily Update: Fatalities spike by record 572 deaths, nears 6,000 mark

South Africa experienced its largest daily Covid-19 related death toll with 572 fatalities recorded over the 24-hour reporting period. The total death toll now stands at 5,940.

In a late night statement, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, announced that the country’s total number of confirmed infections stands at 394,948.

With a recovery rate of 58% currently, 229,175 recoveries have been recorded in total.

With 17,2% of all identified cases, the Eastern Cape now has the second highest national death toll at 1,345 fatalities.

Gauteng has 36,6% of all cases and recorded 1,156 deaths.

While the infections march on, there has been some good news and on Monday, Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH) celebrated as Zuliswa Maqana was discharged from the hospital after having been there for 77 days.

She was one of the longest hospitalised Covid-19 patients across the Western Cape public health service.

Zuliswa, 48, was admitted to the Mitchells Plain District Hospital on 4 May with severe Covid-19 pneumonia and quickly transferred to GSH the next day as she was very unwell and likely required intensive care. She was immediately admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and was intubated and ventilated there for 51 days out her 54-day ICU stay, said Western Cape Premier Alan Winde in a statement.

On Monday (20 July), Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH) celebrated with Zuliswa Maqana on her discharge from the hospital after being in hospital for 77 days. ???????????? She was one of the longest hospitalised COVID-19 patients in the WC. Read her full story here: https://t.co/aANSCbdBjF pic.twitter.com/8YJN3GEIau

— Premier Alan Winde (@alanwinde) July 22, 2020

Maqana’s recovery was a “rocky course”, said Dr Henri Pickardt, General Surgeon at GSH, adding there were complications and other infections along the way.

She was transferred from the ICU to a normal ward on 28 June. At time, she could hardly talk or walk and was rehabilitated by physiotherapy and nursing.

“The medical care received transformed her into the radiant patient who danced out of the hospital on 20 July. One of the infections she had required her to complete a 4-week intravenous antibiotic course,” said Dr Pickardt.

Maqana works in Somerset West and lives in Samora Machel with her a 29-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter. Her mother came from the Eastern Cape when she got sick, to help look after the house and her daughter.

“Thank you so much to Groote Schuur. Everybody was so nice to me and the doctors were wonderful. I am so happy with the treatment I got at Groote Schuur. I didn’t know what day it was [when I entered the hospital] and I couldn’t move for weeks. But they [hospital staff] helped me learn to walk again after 77 days. And they were all so happy for me when I could go home,” said Maqana.

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