Rise in infections threatens third Covid-19 wave

A fast-approaching winter season, laxity in adhering to coronavirus protocols, cluster and super-spreader events, combined with failure to vaccinate, have begun to pose a risk to South Africa – on the verge of being hit by a third wave of Covid-19, experts warned yesterday.

According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), a surge in Covid-19 cases has already hit the Northern Cape, North West and the Free State.

As the NICD continued to monitor trends in the three provinces to ascertain whether the rise could be attributed to cluster outbreaks, NICD senior epidemiologist Dr Harry Moultrie has recommended increased testing and contact tracing to contain and limit further spread.

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With the April school holiday season rapidly approaching and many people making plans for travel, the NICD urged for the compliance with non-pharmaceutical measures to minimise transmission of the virus vital.

“We want to reassure the public that we are monitoring the situation in these provinces,” said the NICD’s acting executive director, Prof Adrian Puren.

Dr Ridhwaan Suliman of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research said the increase in Covid-19 cases was “real and not an artefact of increased testing”.

“This is a reminder that Covid-19 is far from over,” he said.

SA Medical Research Council president Prof Glenda Gray has attributed the latest spike in numbers, to the movement of people and super-spreading events.

“Provinces that were less affected in the past, may have more susceptible people who can be exposed. We recommend anti-flu jabs and suggest people wait for 14 days between the two vaccines,” said Gray.

Commenting on the latest Lancet study, which found the inhaling of budesonide (glucocorticoids) as an effective treatment for Covid-19 in patients with chronic respiratory disease, Gray said she hoped that the new finding would be rapidly incorporated into clinical practice.

Western Cape Southern Suburbs general practitioner Dr Karen van Kets, who has been on the coalface of dealing with people affected by Covid-19, confirmed that the glucocorticoids was part of the recommended treatment for Covid-19 patients who have prolonged respiratory symptoms.

“But it is not used for everybody – only for patients who are asthmatic or people with respiratory symptoms that last beyond seven days,” said Van Kets.

brians@citizen.co.za