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South Africa has entered a new phase of the COVID pandemic: what that means

Michelle J. Groome, National Institute for Communicable Diseases; Juliet Pulliam, South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling & Analysis (SACEMA) , and Sheetal Silal, University of Cape Town 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 …

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Imported case of lassa fever identified

Alerts, News, What's New / By Koketso Matjane

A case of Lassa fever was diagnosed in a man from KwaZulu-Natal on 12 May 2022. The man had extensive travel history in Nigeria before returning to South Africa. He fell ill after entering South Africa and was hospitalized in a Pietermaritzburg hospital. The diagnosis of Lassa fever was confirmed through laboratory testing conducted at …

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Omicron lineages BA.4 and BA.5 FAQ

COVID-19, News, What's New / By Koketso Matjane

1. What are BA.4 and BA.5? BA.4 and BA.5 are two newly-designated Omicron lineages. They are currently still classified as the Omicron variant, meaning that they are not a new Variant of Concern (VOC); rather, they are Omicron viruses with a new combination of mutations. In terms of their mutations, BA.4 and BA.5 share mutations …

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Fresh signs of mosquito insecticide resistance in South Africa

News, What's New / By Koketso Matjane

Shüné Oliver, National Institute for Communicable Diseases; Basil Brooke, University of the Witwatersrand, and Givemore Munhenga, National Institute for Communicable Diseases Most South Africans aren’t worried about malaria even though the disease is endemic in the country. Four of the country’s nine provinces carry malaria risk while 10% of the population is at risk of …

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Malaria elimination: South Africa needs to regroup and refocus to get there

News, What's New / By Koketso Matjane

Jaishree Raman, National Institute for Communicable Diseases In recent years South Africa has made significant progress in its effort to eliminate malaria. The World Health Organization (WHO) lists it as one of the countries that has the potential to eliminate the disease in the near future. In 2021, the WHO also hailed South Africa for …

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Wins, missteps and lessons: African experts reflect on two years of COVID response

Blog, News, What's New / By Koketso Matjane

On 11 March 2020, just months after the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus was first identified in China, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a public health emergency of international concern. Over the next two years COVID-19 would go on to infect nearly half a billion people, killing over 6 million around the world. Governments introduced …

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COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shot: Frequently Asked Questions

COVID-19, News, What's New / By Koketso Matjane

1. Why should I get vaccinated if the vaccine already needs a booster shot to protect me? Are vaccines not effective? Vaccines have been shown in controlled trials and in the evaluation of national vaccination programmes (e.g. United Kingdom) to reduce severe disease and mortality by up to 95-97%. This lifesaving effect has continued, even …

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Rabies: Bark up the right tree through pet vaccination

Blog, News, What's New / By Koketso Matjane

The increase recent rise in reported cases of dog rabies, specifically in the Eastern Cape province is cause for serious concern. The Eastern Cape Provincial Government is undertaking a mass rabies vaccination rollout targeting dogs, to curb the spread of this vaccine-preventable disease. But one cannot help to wonder how we got here? Are rabies …

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Sustained increase in COVID-19 cases

Alerts, News, What's New / By Koketso Matjane

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), a division of the National Health Laboratory Service, continues to observe a sustained increase in the number of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Africa. “Today we saw a sharp increase in daily cases, with 5 782 new cases being reported,” comments NICD Acting Executive Director, Prof Adrian Puren. …

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COVID-19 Vaccination: Reporting Adverse Effects FAQ

Blog, What's New / By Pii Digital

What is an ‘adverse event’ following vaccination? An ‘adverse event following immunisation’ (AEFI) is any untoward health event which happens after a person receives a vaccine. A ‘health event’ is a symptom (something with a person complains of, for example a ‘headache’ or ‘difficulty seeing’) or a ‘sign’ (something a health practitioner notices about a …

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