New coronavirus cases in South Africa continue to plummet

[Newsfeed]

New coronavirus cases in South Africa continue to plummet

Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize has announced there are now 1,353 COVID-19 coronavirus cases in South Africa. This is an increase of 27 cases from yesterday.

This is the fourth day in a row where the number of new confirmed daily coronavirus cases declined – something which the minister did not expect.

 

[quovadis]

Less testing = less cases
If we stopped testing we’d have zero cases
Would be nice if the genpop was being tested to the same level as those with means

 

[NeonNinja]

Let's call it off and take our chances.

 

[Nqindi]

Less testing = less cases
If we stopped testing we’d have zero cases
Would be nice if the genpop was being tested to the same level as those with means

There are in fact more people being tested.
Edit: ignore me. I didn't read.

 

[daveza]

So how does it compare with other countries on the same latitude ?

 

[NeonNinja]

So how does it compare with other countries on the same latitude ?

What southern hemisphere country are you thinking of?

 

[daveza]

What southern hemisphere country are you thinking of?

Oz maybe, Chile ?

 

[ponder]

So how does it compare with other countries on the same latitude ?

There aren't many countries on our latitude.

COVID-19 Visualizer

An interactive COVID-19 (coronavirus) visualizer that highlights countries around the world based on the most recent cases.

covidvisualizer.com

 

[Markd]

What's not clear to me is who is and isn't being tested. Are they only treating people that walk in looking for a test owing to illness? I'm worried that we'll see a disproportionate number of deaths to infections because we are not proactively hunting this virus down. It's already in the townships so unless you are all over those ****ing places hunting it down, it will spread like absolute wildfire. i reckon the wealthier South Africans are ok, because a) we're not travelling and b) we are not too bad at observing lockdown restrictions. The poorer guys are in for a hiding and government needs to stop screwing around and get in there.

 

[saffakanera]

What percentage of SA's population has been tested so far?

 

[|tera|]

What percentage of SA's population has been tested so far?

Apparently 1,353

 

[quovadis]

What percentage of SA's population has been tested so far?

As at 31 March and according to NICD - 41 072 tests - so like 0.075% if my math is right.

 

[saffakanera]

As at 31 March and according to NICD - 41 072 tests - so like 0.075% if my math is right.

We really are the opposite of the First World, we are in deep ****, flying totally blind here.

 

[RandomGeek]

There aren't many countries on our latitude.

COVID-19 Visualizer

An interactive COVID-19 (coronavirus) visualizer that highlights countries around the world based on the most recent cases.

covidvisualizer.com

Even Botswana had their first few cases today. And Mozambique...bound to be quite a few there, but I can guarantee they aren't testing in volume (or at all)

 

[Fulcrum29]

I hope 'we' are correct, there is no chance our country will be able to hide a disaster.

To be honest, our headlines on this are like the Bitcoin topics.

 

[quovadis]

We really are the opposite of the First World, we are in deep ****, flying totally blind here.

South Korea has a similar sized population at around 50m and they've tested 395000 to date.

 

[Fjorko]

They speak of AUS - but i think this counts for all countries ( video starts towards the end ) :

I pray that this never comes to pass.

 

[Hamster]

Anything, absolutely anything for a click

 

[Mirai]

What's not clear to me is who is and isn't being tested. Are they only treating people that walk in looking for a test owing to illness? I'm worried that we'll see a disproportionate number of deaths to infections because we are not proactively hunting this virus down. It's already in the townships so unless you are all over those ****ing places hunting it down, it will spread like absolute wildfire. i reckon the wealthier South Africans are ok, because a) we're not travelling and b) we are not too bad at observing lockdown restrictions. The poorer guys are in for a hiding and government needs to stop screwing around and get in there.

"PUI" are being tested only, officially.

That's someone who has symptoms of at least one of these symptoms, cough, short of breath or fever with at least one of the following:
Close contact with Covid-19 positive or suspected Covid-19 positive person or
Someone who works or was treated at a facility which has treated Covid-19 positive patients, or
History of travel to region with community spread (Italy, PRC, etc)
or
Pneumona of unknown cause.

So they're symptomatic people with some sort of epidemiological risk factor. So they're reasonably selected. So out of 30,000 tests or so 1,400 or so are positive, some could be false negatives too, but that's less likely than with pure symptom-less persons.

 

[saffakanera]

"PUI" are being tested only, officially.

That's someone who has symptoms of at least one of these symptoms, cough, short of breath or fever with at least one of the following:
Close contact with Covid-19 positive or suspected Covid-19 positive person or
Someone who works or was treated at a facility which has treated Covid-19 positive patients, or
History of travel to region with community spread (Italy, PRC, etc)
or
Pneumona of unknown cause.

So they're symptomatic people with some sort of epidemiological risk factor. So they're reasonably selected. So out of 30,000 tests or so 1,400 or so are positive, some could be false negatives too, but that's less likely than with pure symptom-less persons.

Would testing "PUI" only, when we have mega townships, not be a bad idea? Chances are if those residents get visibly sick then it already spread FAR and wide? How long do you go from infected to "I need to get to a hospital!"?