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LATEST SCIENCES AND RESEARCH
READ | (FOR SUBSCRIBERS) Immune Systems, Better Blood Vessel Health: What Can Prevent Kids From Severe Covid-19
The new coronavirus (which causes Covid-19 disease) does not affect most children, and experts from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), the University of Melbourne and the University of Freiburg have weighed in to explain why this is the case.
After reviewing a set of global studies on Covid-19 and children, they concluded that the underlying factors responsible for age-related differences in severity of Covid-19 are associated with differences in the immune system and better health of children. blood vessels in children.
READ | OPINION | Covid-19 vaccine trials in Africa: what’s promising and what’s problematic
Scientists are working around the clock to develop and test vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of Covid-19.
Experts agree that the widespread use of safe and effective vaccines will quickly contain the Covid-19 pandemic, preventing transmission and disease.
A key step in the development process of any vaccine is clinical testing, which involves assigning a vaccine or placebo to human subjects and then evaluating the health effects over a period of time.
This test helps to demonstrate safety in diverse human populations living in different environments and to determine the efficacy of the vaccine – the ability to prevent infection and disease.
Globally, Covid-19 vaccine trials are taking place on every continent, representing all of the world’s diverse human populations. In Africa, Egypt and South Africa participate in these trials. Many other countries are also preparing to participate.
To date, there are 260 Covid-19 vaccine candidates at different stages of development. Sixty of them are undergoing clinical trials (human trials) in different phases.
LATEST CORONAVIRUS CASES
SA cases update:
The latest number of confirmed cases is 817 878.
According to the latest update, 22,249 deaths have been registered in the country.
There have been 745,750 recoveries.
So far, 5.6 million tests have been performed and 19,252 new tests have been reported.
Global Cases Update:
For the latest global data, follow this interactive map from Johns Hopkins University & Medicine.
As of late Monday night, positive cases worldwide were 67.3 million, while deaths approached 1.5 million.
The United States had the highest number of cases in the world, 14.8 million, as well as the highest number of deaths, about 282,797.
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN SA
Last News:
READ | All Rage Festival events postponed ‘until further notice’
All Festival Rage events planned for 2020 and 2021 were postponed following a Covid-19 outbreak after the Ballito Rage held from November 27 to December 4.
The Joburg Rage had been scheduled for December 12 and 13, the Plett Rage for January 29 to February 6 and the event in Jeffreys Bay for December 15 to 22.
According to Darren Sandras, spokesperson for the event organizers, the amended refund policies will be communicated in the coming days.
“Tickets for Plett Rage have been paused with immediate effect. This is to ensure that all necessary additional consultations can be made with relevant officials and stakeholders. For now, all Festival Rage events are postponed as we inquire. with relevant officials and stakeholders. More details can be shared as they become available, “said Sandras.
“We continued to communicate with all interested parties. All festival events were deemed compliant and the local health department and Durban Events Department gave the full go-ahead.”
“We are devastated that despite all the efforts before and during the festival and at all the venues controlled by Rage, some attendees still contracted Covid-19. [cooperating] fully with all authorities and stakeholders and we will continue to do so as necessary and we are making all available resources as necessary. ”
READ | Alcohol dealers disobey new lockdown rules in Eastern Cape as it fights spike in Covid-19 cases
The Eastern Cape Liquor Board (ECLB) has condemned liquor dealers who are ignorant of Covid-19 business conditions and health protocols in the province.
The board has raised concerns about instances of non-compliance by liquor outlets as the Eastern Cape province grapples with the rapid resurgence of Covid-19 cases.
“As a result, liquor outlets are characterized as Covid-19 super spreaders [infections] in our province, “the board said Monday.
ECLB Executive Director Dr. Nombuyiselo Makala said: “It is extremely concerning that our people have become so complacent and are behaving as if Covid-19 does not exist at all.”
According to the board, they have observed, with great concern, that customers who frequent liquor stores are completely ignorant of Covid 19 health protocols.
READ | You can appeal if your R350 Covid-19 grant was not paid, but there is a deadline
South Africans who have been denied access to the special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant must file an appeal by February 28, 2021 for a chance to receive retroactive financial assistance.
The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) recently confirmed that the SRD grant, which has been marred by clerical errors and technical failures, would come to an end in January 2021. To date, almost 19.8 millions of SRD payments to mitigate the devastating financial impact of the pandemic on vulnerable citizens.
Since the grant’s formation in May, more than 16.4 million applicants have been denied, with just 60,000 appeals confirmed by Sassa. After receiving a barrage of criticism, and the applicants citing unfair denials, Sassa created and expanded an appeals process that sought to examine all cases individually.
“Anyone who does not file an appeal will not be reconsidered, as we do not have the funds to reconsider every rejected case,” Sassa said in response to the grant extension announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in November.
On December 4, 2020, Sassa confirmed a deadline for the appeals process, noting that pending complaints should be finalized by March 2021. “Appeals for applications made during the extension period, between November 2020 and January 2021 must be submitted on or before February 28, 2021, ”Sassa said in a public statement.
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE REST OF THE WORLD
Last News:
READ | Germany, struggling with the second wave, reflects on stricter rules
Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday urged German regions with high rates of coronavirus to tighten social contact restrictions before Christmas as the country struggled to stem a second wave of infections.
Germany, long hailed as an example in the pandemic due to a death rate much lower than that of most of its neighbors, has seen its infection levels stabilize at a high level for more than a month.
Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters that as a result, the government welcomed a move by Bavaria on Sunday to tighten its lockdown rules and limit New Year’s Eve gatherings.
“These are worrying days,” Seibert said, noting that infection rates “are not constantly declining” but are increasing in some areas and that Germany was “far from turning the corner.”
“It is obvious and also necessary for individual states to think about what measures they could use to curb new infections,” he said, calling Bavaria’s planned tightening from Wednesday “good and correct.”
The eastern state of Saxony, dealing with its own surge in infections, followed suit with the announcement that it would meet on Tuesday to agree on stricter rules.
