As COVID took hold in South Africa, daily case numbers grew. But the numbers people were seeing online or on news channels did not tell the full story of the pandemic. Ridhwaan…
Month: May 2022
physics-inspired simulations predict waves in four countries
As a physicist, I am trained to look for patterns in data. For example, the motion of the tiniest particles may seem random, but it contains patterns and symmetries. The same can…
what to expect in the short and long term
In light of the approaching winter months combined with the recent lifting of the national disaster act, South Africans have anxiously been watching an increase in COVID infections. The Conversation Africa spoke…
South Africa has entered a new phase of the COVID pandemic: what that means
Confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 have been increasing in South Africa in recent weeks. This has been largely driven by two offspring – known as the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-lineages – of the…
How South Africa is integrating COVID into routine care for mothers and babies
COVID-19 has had a direct impact on maternal mortality. Pregnant women are not at an increased risk of becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2. But data show they are at higher risk of severe…
Making COVID vaccines in Africa: advances and sustainability issues
The history of vaccine manufacturing capacity in Africa dates back to 1881, when Egypt’s Vacsera company was established. Before the COVID pandemic was declared, there were eight African countries that, to our…
South Africa is proposing plans to manage diseases like COVID. Why they’re flawed
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic the South African government published “special regulations” to contain the spread of the disease. These actions were taken under special powers granted by the Disaster…