If your COVID-19 test result has come back positive, follow these practical guidelines to help manage the disease: Refrain from going out and to work. Stop using public transport. Self-isolate, ideally alone in a room and away from other family members or roommates, for a period of 7-days. If practical, avoid sharing a bathroom with […]
What is Cough Check? Cough Check is a Self-swabbing Pilot Study, which aims to come to patient’s homes and give them the chance to test themselves. Patients will be given a ‘swab’ which looks like a cotton swab or Q-Tip but thinner with a longer plastic stick. They are given instructions on how to perform
In little more than a year from the onset of COVID-19, scientists successfully developed vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 virus for world-wide use. Three main factors contributed to this extraordinary feat. One, unprecedented collaboration between international scientists. Two, scientists were able to obtain exquisitely detailed images of the virus proteins and the human proteins that they
Want to develop vaccines in Africa? Then invest in expertise and infrastructure Read More »
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently (30 August 2021) classified the PANGO lineage B.1.621 (nextclade assignment: 21H) as a variant of interest (VOI) and assigned it the Greek name “Mu”. This variant was first detected in Colombia in January 2021 (Laiton-Donato, 2021, medRxiV). It has since spread across North America, South America and Europe,
SARS-CoV-2 Variant of interest, MU (21H / B.1.621) Read More »
As a team of South African researchers we have identified a new lineage of SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19. A lineage represents a genetically distinct virus population with a common ancestor. This virus may be designated as a variant in future, based on significantly altered properties, but first we need to understand it better. Our
It is a well-known fact that COVID-19 vaccines provide the best protection against developing severe disease and death. However, in order for the vaccine to work optimally, the timing thereof is crucial. And although some believe there is no time like the present, there are certain factors to consider, especially for those who have recently
COVID-19 Vaccination: no time like the present, right? Read More »
The Vaccine Ministerial Advisory Committee (VMAC) continues to monitor the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and lactation for all vaccines included in, or considered for inclusion, in the national vaccine rollout. Although the risk is small, pregnant and postnatal women are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 disease compared to their non-pregnant
Vaccination of pregnant and breastfeeding women (August update) Read More »
The Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa (NGS-SA), which includes the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), KRISP at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), University of Cape Town (UCT), Stellenbosch University (SUN), the University of the Free State (UFS), the University of Pretoria, the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS) and the National Health Laboratory
Detection and frequency of the c.1.2 mutated sars-cov-2 lineage in South Africa Read More »
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), a division of the National Health Laboratory Service, has been performing genomic surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 and can confirm that the Delta variant is becoming more dominant in Gauteng, South Africa. Genomic data, generated by the Network for Genomic Surveillance in South Africa (NGS-SA : sequencing teams at the
Some might question whether adherence to COVID-19 preventative measures is still necessary following vaccination. The answer is yes, and here’s why. COVID-19 vaccines provide protection against developing severe disease and death, but it does not provide 100% protection against infection, and for that matter, transmission to others. For these reasons, those who have been inoculated
Following COVID-19 Preventative Measures After Vaccination Read More »
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The Public Health Bulletin South Africa (PHBSA) website is hosted by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) and the National Institute for Occupational Health (NIOH), divisions of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS). The PHBSA website is funded jointly by the NICD and the US CDC Foundation and the Bloomberg Philanthropies Data for Health Initiative.
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