COVID-19 WRAP | Covid-19: SA records 3,266 cases and 82 deaths in 24 hours

February 03 2022 - 20:34

Covid-19: SA records 3,266 cases and 82 deaths in 24 hours

SA recorded 3,266 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said on Thursday.

Of the new cases, the most were in Gauteng (1,005), which was the only province to record more than 1,000 cases in 24 hours. The Western Cape (547) was next worst-hit, followed by KwaZulu-Natal (396) and Limpopo (380).

February 03 2022 - 15:16

Baxter: Covid-19 nightmare denied Chiefs chance to pressurise Sundowns

Stuart Baxter has rued Kaizer Chiefs' nightmare Covid-19 outbreak in December, a repercussion of which was that a club that had appeared capable of pressurising runaway DStv Premiership leaders Mamelodi Sundowns will be denied that opportunity.

Chiefs, under a new coach in Baxter in the former Bafana boss's second stint, and with multiple new signings, battled for fluency at the start of 2021-22.

February 03 2022 - 13:15

Africa needs $1.29 billion to fund rollout of Covid shots, WHO says

Africa is short of at least $1.29 billion to fund the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines, the World Health Organization said, citing data from 40 of the continent’s 54 countries.

Only 11% of the continent’s 1.2 billion people are fully vaccinated and the weekly pace of vaccination needs to rise sixfold to hit a target of having 70% of the population inoculated by the middle of this year, the WHO said in a statement on Thursday. Currently six million Africans are being vaccinated weekly.

While the number of vaccines received in January doubled from six months ago the challenge is now getting those shots into arms, the WHO said.

“A dependable pipeline must go hand in hand with operational funding to move doses out of depots and into people’s arms,” Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO’s regional director for Africa, said in the statement.

Bloomberg

February 03 2022 - 13:07

German vaccine commission backs Novavax Covid vaccine for adults

 Germany's expert panel on vaccine use on Thursday recommended Novavax's protein-based Covid-19 vaccine for basic immunisation for people over 18, in a push to win over the more than 15% of German adults still not fully vaccinated.

The high-profile advisory group known as STIKO said a booster shot should still be given with an mRNA vaccine, and particularly vulnerable people should also receive a second booster with an mRNA vaccine.

Novavax's recombinant protein vaccine uses a more established technology than mRNA, the novel method behind the two most commonly used COVID-19 vaccines in Germany - from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.

Recombinant protein vaccines have been in use since the mid-1980s and are now a standard tool to fight hepatitis B, the human papillomavirus behind cervical cancer and meningitis-causing bacteria.

Public health leaders have voiced hopes Novavax's product could convince as-yet unvaccinated people who are sceptical about the novel mRNA technology to get a shot.

Germany expects to receive 3.8 million doses of Novavax's Nuvaxovid vaccine by March 20 and a total of 34 million this year.

STIKO also updated its general recommendation for booster shots and now advises at-risk groups including those aged 70 and over as well as health workers to get a second booster, or a fourth shot overall, against Covid-19 with an mRNA vaccine.

The recommendation comes amid surging coronavirus infections in the country of 83 million. Its vaccination rate lags most western European countries.

The Robert-Koch-Institute for infectious diseases reported a record of 236,120 new cases on Thursday. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has warned the numbers could exceed 400,000 by mid-February.

"We have data from Israel that shows a fourth dose significantly improves protection from a severe case of illness," STIKO chief Thomas Mertens told media group Funke in an interview published on Thursday.

Some countries have already started offering additional booster doses, but a recent study from Israel showed that while a fourth dose of an mRNA vaccine boosted antibodies, the level was not high enough to prevent infection with the Omicron coronavirus variant.

STIKO in November recommended a third shot for all adults and last month updated its advice to include everyone older than 12. For ages five to 12, the panel still only recommends Covid vaccination for children with pre-existing conditions. 

Reuters

February 03 2022 - 09:00

Should Covid restrictions be rolled back? Here's what one expert says

The FDA is poised to authorize the Covid-19 vaccine for children under 5, leading some to ask if it's time to roll back restrictions.

CNN's Jake Tapper talks to Dr. Megan Ranney about raising vaccination numbers and finally getting back to normal after two years of the pandemic. 

February 03 2022 - 07:00

What foods can I eat to support my immune system during the pandemic?

Eating healthy and nutritious foods during the Covid-19 pandemic is beneficial for the immune system.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says while none of the healthy foods, including fruits and vegetables, prevents the transmission of Covid-19, maintaining a healthy diet is vital. 

“The immune system requires the support of many nutrients. It is recommended to consume a variety of foods for a healthy and balanced diet, including whole grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts and animal source foods,” says the WHO.

It added there is no evidence supporting claims that people can get Covid-19 from eating fruits and vegetables.

“There is currently no evidence that people can catch Covid-19 from food, including fruits and vegetables. Fresh fruits and vegetables are part of a healthy diet and their consumption should be encouraged.”

February 03 2022 - 06:00

Covid pandemic cost European clubs €7bn 

A study by governing body UEFA showed the Covid-19 pandemic cost European clubs seven billion euros ($7.91 billion) across two seasons even as player wages at top sides rose by 2% to 11.9 billion euros ($13.45 billion) during the period.

Top-flight clubs suffered losses worth four billion euros ($4.52 billion) in 2021, up from three billion euros ($3.39 billion) the previous year.

The majority of losses came due to empty stadiums, with revenues from ticket sales falling by 88% in 2020-21.

Transfer revenues also took a tumble, dropping by 40%.British media said the report, which included 724 clubs across 54 top divisions in Europe, added that 900 million euros ($1.02 billion) was given in rebates to broadcasters, while sponsorship revenue plummeted by 1.7 billion euros ($1.92 billion).

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, however, said there was reason for optimism with fans returning to stadiums.

"One lesson of the last two years has been that it is only by showing solidarity and working together that European football can overcome existential challenges such as the pandemic," he said."

This report provides sobering details of the post-pandemic challenges that await us. But whether the pandemic stays or goes, European football will stay strong, stable and united in 2022."

Reuters