COVID-19 WRAP | SA records 475 new Covid-19 cases

October 29 2021 - 19:07

Oral Covid-19 vaccine trial to start in SA

Oramed Pharmaceuticals Inc. won approval to run an initial clinical trial for its orally delivered Covid-19 vaccine candidate in SA.

The US-listed company has been given permission by the SA Health Regulatory Products Authority to start enrolling patients in phase 1 of tests, it said in a statement on Friday. A similar trial is planned in Israel and a phase 2 trial in the US, Nadav Kidron, Oramed’s CEO, said in an interview.

October 29 2021 - 18:52

Covid-19: 475 new cases, 47 deaths in SA in 24 hours

There were 475 new Covid-19 cases and 47 deaths recorded in SA in the past 24 hours, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said on Friday.

This means that there have been 2,921,589 confirmed Covid-19 cases recorded across the country since the outbreak of the coronavirus in March 2020.

The NICD said the latest fatalities meant that 89,151 confirmed deaths had been recorded to date.

October 29 2021 - 13:15

England's Covid prevalence rises to new highest level since January, ONS says

The prevalence of Covid-19 infections in England increased to around 1 in 50 people in the week ending October 22, Britain's Office for National Statistics said on Friday, reaching its highest level since the start of the year.

The ONS said that prevalence of infections had risen for its fifth straight week, having been at 1 in 55 people in the previous week.

Prevalence was last at 1 in 50 people in the week ending January 2.

Reuters

October 29 2021 - 12:14

'Solo party': Ed Sheeran releases album while isolating for Covid

Music star Ed Sheeran released his fourth solo album, entitled "=" (equals), on Friday while isolating for Covid-19, saying he was going to celebrate with a "solo party".

The singer, known for chart-topping hits such as "Shape of You" and "Thinking Out Loud", had told fans earlier this week he had tested positive for the coronavirus, and had cancelled all in-person events to promote his new record.

"I’m obviously still in Covid isolation but please let me know what you think when it’s out. It’s the most proud (I've) ever been of a (piece) of work and I can’t wait for you all to hear it," he said on Instagram on Thursday evening."Gonna be having a solo party tonight and tomorrow to celebrate, blast it loud."

Sheeran, who has named his previous solo albums after mathematical symbols, has said that "=" was his favourite record that he had made, with songs about his wife and daughter.

Critics said the Grammy Award winner, who has sold more than 150 million records worldwide, had stuck to his successful formula of honest lyrics in the new album."It's business as usual for the Suffolk (England) singer-songwriter, who's turned in a fourth album of undeniable hits and savvy, sickly-sweet concoctions," music site NME said, giving the record three out of five stars."

To some tastes, Sheeran will be corny and trite. Yet what he does well is essentially inarguable: provide songs that fulfil the emotional needs of universal moments," Britain's Telegraph newspaper said, giving it four stars. 

Reuters

October 29 2021 - 09:14

Only 5 African countries may fully vaccinate 40% of population by year-end: WHO Africa

Only five African countries will meet the target of fully vaccinating 40% of their populations against Covid-19 unless the pace of inoculations accelerates across the continent, World Health Organisation said on Thursday. 

The Covid-19 vaccine rollout may be slowed by an "imminent shortfall" of up to 2.2-billion auto-disposable syringes globally needed to administer the jab and routine immunisations barring an increase in their manufacturing, WHO Africa said. At present there is no global stockpile of the specialised syringes which are in high demand, and they will remain in short supply at least through the first quarter of 2022.

WHO Africa said in a statement that Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa have already experienced delays in receiving syringes.

October 29 2021 - 08:37

Vote then vax: 1,000 pop-up sites to administer jabs on Monday

Pop-up vaccination sites will operate at 1,000 voting stations on Monday.

Health minister Joe Phaahla said at a media briefing early on Friday that the pop-up sites would target areas where the uptake of vaccinations had been low.

The single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be prioritised so people who travel to vote do not need to return for a second dose.

The pop-up vaccination sites will operate outside areas demarcated for voting. Those keen on getting the jab will be able to vote first and then get vaccinated.

October 29 2021 - 07:00

Why are fully vaccinated people still catching Covid-19?

As the number of fully vaccinated people continues to grow in SA, questions about why some people are still becoming infected with Covid-19 are thrust into the spotlight.

According to government stats, more than 12-million people have been fully vaccinated, with over 5-million Johnson & Johnson vaccines administered, just under 7-million second Pfizer vaccines given and just under 100,000 single-jab shots administered to 12-17-year-olds.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that Covid-19 vaccines are effective at preventing infection, serious illness, and death. However, they are not 100% effective at preventing infection and some people who are fully vaccinated can still get the virus.

October 29 2021 - 06:20

Food: how Covid created a feast for the big guys and famine for the little ones

Findings from an in-depth study on how Covid-19 lockdowns affected food systems have been revealed by researchers from the University of the Western Cape (UWC).

They found the government response “protected and insulated commercial farming and corporate-owned businesses” at the expense of the informal sector, which plays a big role in food systems.

Small-scale farmers, fishers and traders have suffered huge business losses under Covid-19, depriving poor consumers of a crucial source of cheap, nutritious food, said researchers Ruth Hall and Marc Wegerif, from the Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (Plaas) at UWC.

This happened “while large, corporate food producers and retailers have reaped the profits”, they said.

October 29 2021 - 06:00

'Covid-19 lit the fire': Societal inequalities lit the country in July, experts say

Long-standing structural inequalities, political entrepreneurs and Covid-19 fuelled the riots that left more than 300 dead in an outburst of violence in July. 

This was the analysis of public commenters during the 7th Presidential Roundtable on After the Riots, hosted by the Academy of Science of SA (ASSAf).

One of the speakers, Prof Adam Habib, director of the London School of African and Oriental Studies, said structural inequality in society had led to major political polarisation.