COVID-19 cases in South Africa have suddenly dipped since last week and been consistently maintaining its low rate.
Reduced COVID-19 cases in South Africa
It has been more than a month since the first case of the coronavirus was recorded in South Africa. On March 27, it recorded the highest number of positive cases recorded for a day at 243 cases. The interesting part is the day after, the numbers dropped to 17 and maintained an average of only around 50 new positive cases daily. These figures left health experts and the government a bit worried that the worst might yet to come.
President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa announced to his citizens that it is too early to rejoice and be complacent.
We are glad that since the strict lockdown, positive cases reported daily drastically dived from 42 percent to only four. But this is not the time to be complacent and leet our guards down.
Precious Matotso, the World Health Organization’s representative in South Africa, believes that mass testing will eventually reveal the real extent of the positive cases in the country.
We can’t safely conclude that the country has alreaedy flatten the curve, since mass testing is yet to be implemented.
Health workers believe it is the calm before the storm
Doctors from different keys cities in South Africa find the situation quite unusual and somehow scary.
The situation is strange and giving me goosebumps.
-Dr. Evan Shoul
Regardless of the drop in COVID-19 cases in South Africa, hospitals have already prepared for the worst. Health workers have readied themselves in case the outbreak really does hit the country really hard after the calm days.
We are a bit puzzled right now
-Dr. Tom Boyles
The health minister continuously reminds front-liners that there should be no room for complacency and always be prepared for the worst-case scenario. The long days of calm incidents of hospital admittance bring more anxiety than relief, knowing that the possibility of an outbreak of COVID-19 cases in South Africa is just lurking around the corner.
Speculations are also arising about the effect of anti-tuberculosis vaccines in suppressing the contamination of the coronavirus. At birth, South Africans are required to have the BCG vaccine for additional resistance to tuberculosis. There has no scientific basis on this claim, purely speculations.
Feature image by Council for Foreign Relations
