Health workers are seen at the Nasrec Field Hospital for Covid-19, 25 January 2021. Picture: Michel Bega
While there may be reason to celebrate as the official Covid-19 infection figures decrease and experts anticipate
a relaxation of Level 3 lockdown regulations, a healthcare worker says the numbers in hospitals keep rising.
“The hospitals are full. The second wave is much worse than the first wave,” the nurse said, requesting anonymity for fear of losing her job.
“The figures are not declining, that’s ridiculous; it just gets more and more.”
A doctor working at a private hospital in Johannesburg said the new variant might even be more deadly.
It was infecting a slightly younger population than in the first wave.
“When patients deteriorate, usually at day nine or 10, they develop a more severe disease that takes longer to recover from.”
Whereas in the first wave, a symptomatic patient could infect five other people, with the new variant six others could be infected.
However, Wits University School of Governance professor Alex van den Heever said there was no evidence that the new variant was more deadly.
“The deaths always lag the decline in new infections. It is far from clear whether the increased transmissibility requires additional measures,” he said.
Transmission was intensified by superspreader events.
“Curtail those and the efficiency of transmission goes into decline.”
Economist Mike Schussler said it was time to relax the Level 3 regulations.
The alcohol ban and curfew should be adjusted to accommodate the restaurant and fast-food industries.
“The rate of infections has dropped by 60% in the past week.
“I’m not saying let’s go full blast. There should be a curfew. This will keep road accidents numbers down.”
– marizkac@citizen.co.za
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