COVID-19: Human Entry Points Identified
International institutions, including Imperial College London, have so far identified likely initial infection points for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus causing COVID-19) in the nose and eyes. Receptors were also found in the intestines and in vital organs such as the heart. Heart tissue damage and consequent heart failure is observed in up to 20 percent of […]
Read MoreFlattening the Curve: The Dos and Don’ts of COVID-19 (In Four Languages)
The University of Cape Town, Department of Medicine have produced videos outlining the Dos and Don’ts of COVID-19 in four South African Languages. These videos provide an invaluable resource for businesses and individuals as the battle to slow the spread of the virus continues. Available now in Xhosa, Zulu, Afrikaans and English. Flattening the Curve: […]
Read MoreCoronavirus Q&A with Dr Anthony Fauci
A recent interview with NIAID Director and Presidential Coronavirus Task Force Advisor, Anthony Fauci. Originally streamed on April 8, 2020, the interview offers a fascinating insight into the United State’s response to the pandemic and the greater, global implications.
Read MoreBCG Vaccine and COVID-19: Implications for South Africa
The anecdotal evidence for a positive impact of the Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG) vaccine on COVID-19 disease comes from an ecological study in which morbidity and mortality rates from COVID-19 in various countries are compared in relation to their use of BCG vaccine in the past (Miller et al, medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.03.24.20042937 not peer- reviewed). The […]
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Governments Around the Globe Rush to Flatten the Curve
The novel coronavirus – COVID-19 – has killed thousands of people around the world since it first emerged in China last December. It has compelled many governments to lock down their populations to a degree unimaginable until recently. It will probably cause the most brutal recession in living memory. Statistical data obtained from the Economist (2020) […]
Read MoreCovid-19 in Africa: fewer cases so far, but more preparation needed
The novel coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak, recently declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation, has taken the world completely by surprise, with governments across the globe scrambling to contain the spread of the virus. Whilst hopes for a vaccine in the immediate short-term are faint, advances in medical technology have enabled us to develop an understanding of […]
Read MoreNational Disaster Declared in South Africa over COVID-19 Spread
Last night President Cyril Ramaphosa declared the coronavirus pandemic a national disaster, and has introduced a host of interventions to curb the spread of the disease in South Africa, including school and port of entry closures, as well as imposing a travel ban on foreign nationals from countries with the highest rates of infection. The […]
Read MoreCovid 19: A Pandemic is Coming
As governments around the globe battle to contain the spread of covid-19, the role of public health has been brought into stark focus. Iran, crippled by US sanctions and without some of the most basic pubic health infrastructures, has seen infection rates increase exponentially. Economically secure nations aren’t safe either. Italy has some of the […]
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