Covid-19 study: SA at turning point in pandemic
A new study by the University of Witwatersrand has found that immunity caused by infections has had a significant impact on the trajectory of Covid-19 cases during the fourth wave.
The study found that 490 people per 100 000 died of Covid-19, putting South Africa in the top 10 countries globally of Covid-19 fatality rates.
Wits Professor of Vaccinology Shabir Madhi says 70% of the adult population in Gauteng contracted the virus before the emergence of the omicron variant.
He believes the country has reached a turning point in the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The study findings indicate that we have reached a turning point in the Covid-19 pandemic, even in countries with a modest uptake of vaccines, but where there has been a high force of natural infection, which has resulted in a massive loss of lives.
“The findings have significant implications for Africa, a continent where vaccines and resources to support vaccine rollout are limited and where hospitalisation for Covid-19 severely constrains public health facilities and resources.”
Madhi says the study will have an impact on government’s vaccination campaign.
“The focus of Covid-19 vaccine rollout in countries with low coverage has to be primarily targeted at achieving more than 90% in high-risk groups, rather than some percentage of the population – considering that the majority have inadvertently developed protection against severe Covid-19 in countries such as SA, following natural infection.”
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