South African Covid-19 News and Discussions 2

[R13...]

LIVE | Covid-19 in SA: Cases rise by 372 | News24

Follow our live update for the latest news and analysis of Covid-19 from South Africa and around the world.

www.news24.com

Also:

Seven staff members close to Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina have tested positive for Covid-19, the mayor's office announced via a press release on Friday.

The seven confirmed cases include the following senior officials:

A member of the mayoral committee;

The Head of Department and

The spokesperson to the mayor.

Masina’s results returned negative, his office announced.

"As a precautionary measure, the office of the executive mayor will be closed for decontamination and deep cleaning," the statement read.

Masina will be attending to all council business via virtual meeting platforms until further notice.

 

[Grant]

There was a point where we just responded in anger, frustration and tears. We are past that point.
All we can do now is just... laugh.


It is all one massive sick sadistic joke.

Some areas did what they should have done in preparing for potential hospital admissions in terms of infrastructure, supplies, devices, backup personnel etc during the lockdown period.

For others, it was business as usual.

 

[Paulsie]

I keep telling you lot we must have at least 4-6 million infections in reality in SA. The posting numbers and testing game is a fools one.

Yep I know so many people that are positive or have been in contact with someone positive in a measly Pmb. Yet the entire kzn is reporting 19k cases. Impossible

 

[Gordon_R]

The numbers might not be completely accurate or up-to-date but they give us a fairly accurate picture of the rate of growth.

Adjusting to "actual" cases is as simple as moving the line on the graph up along the y-axis or to the left along the x-axis (same result).
Problem is we don't know by how much to move it so it's a largely pointless exercise.

The percentage of asymptomatic and under-diagnosed cases varies with the demographic of the population being tested. It is statistically important in evaluating the spread of the epidemic, and has clearly changed in SA when we stopped routine testing under age 55. However, nowhere in the world has really got a grip on proper sampling procedures, so it remains an academic exercise at this stage.

 

[MrGray]

I keep telling you lot we must have at least 4-6 million infections in reality in SA. The posting numbers and testing game is a fools one.

If you assume that this 20% rate of infection is representative of the general population then the figure would be 20% of 60m = 12 million.

This is actually extremely positive news if true - means the "true" IFR is somewhere in the region of 0.03% and the whole thing is going to burn itself out sooner than expected. It also means that the skyrocketing number of confirmed cases is purely just a function of testing and not all that meaningful. As others have said, the bottom line is the number of deaths and that is the only metric worth following.

 

[The_Right_Honourable_Brit]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1281536220691148805

As expected

Of course.

 

[dualmeister]

Of course.

Didn't Rama say "we are prepared"

 

[The_Mowgs]

Didn't Rama say "we are prepared"

Was taken out of context

 

[Gordon_R]

Oxygen cylinders are not the only delivery mechanism. There are others, though in limited supply:

Urgent appeal for help: Gauteng doctors make urgent public appeal for lifesaving oxygen concentrators

Doctors have made an urgent appeal for people to lend them their oxygen concentrators or to donate to an account for the rental of these machines as they try to address the oxygen needs of Covid-19 patients at the Nasrec Field Hospital while the facility is being expanded.

www.dailymaverick.co.za

 

[Pegasus]

 

[tetrasect]

The percentage of asymptomatic and under-diagnosed cases varies with the demographic of the population being tested. It is statistically important in evaluating the spread of the epidemic, and has clearly changed in SA when we stopped routine testing under age 55. However, nowhere in the world has really got a grip on proper sampling procedures, so it remains an academic exercise at this stage.

True, but regardless what the percentage of asymptomatic or very mild cases is, the growth rate deduced from tested cases will still apply. It just means is that our case numbers are several days behind.

Knowing the actual number of asymptomatic or very mild cases would have been very helpful early on but at this stage it seems we are no longer concerned with halting the spread and are more focused on treatment (and doing a pretty terrible job at that as well).

 

[Gordon_R]

True, but regardless what the percentage of asymptomatic or very mild cases is, the growth rate deduced from tested cases will still apply. It just means is that our case numbers are several days behind.

Knowing the actual number of asymptomatic or very mild cases would have been very helpful early on but at this stage it seems we are no longer concerned with halting the spread and are more focused on treatment (and doing a pretty terrible job at that as well).

The growth rate Rt is actually derived from a combination of both positive tests and deaths, since the testing numbers are so unreliable. Once the percentage of positive tests exceeds around 5%, growth in numbers is more a function of testing protocols than the underlying infection rate. See: https://rt.live/faq

 

[The_Mowgs]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1281536220691148805

As expected

Have they offered some type of assistance?

 

[Polymathic]

So people are suddenly dying from the Flu in my small community all of a sudden. I'm guessing that's what families are telling others to avoid the stigma of Corona Virus (you know how small towns are) on the flip side maybe these people are not getting tested then again maybe the Aunties are spreading rumours on the WhatsApp again.

 

[Gordon_R]

Perhaps the clearest evidence of the actual infection rate amongst 'essential' workers in SA:

Policing has 'come at a cost' - 5 000 officers infected, 36 fatalities, says Bheki Cele | News24

Police Minister Bheki Cele says SAPS officers who test positive for Covid-19 are 'not alone' and that support measures are in place.

www.news24.com

Assuming 200,000 members, that is a 2.5% rate. Alternatively 0.35% of the population make up 2.5% of the known cases. Or 8 times the national average rate, assuming random testing. In reality essential workers are more intensively screened.

 

[Draken]

Who runs the 'news' side of mybroadband along with the 'disquss' boards ?
99% of what i try post there gets flagged as 'spam' by them, and its mostly pro-mask info.

While i see anti-maskers flooding those boards. Seems a bit different on the forums themselves.

 

[BeerIsNotGood...]

WHO teams up with Google and Amazon against smoking

With the World Health Organization warning the globe’s 1.3 billion tobacco users are at higher risk during the global COVID-19 pandemic and in need of new tools to quit, it’s calling in the big guns.

mybroadband.co.za

 

[Alton Turner Blackwood]

So people are suddenly dying from the Flu in my small community all of a sudden. I'm guessing that's what families are telling others to avoid the stigma of Corona Virus (you know how small towns are) on the flip side maybe these people are not getting tested then again maybe the Aunties are spreading rumours on the WhatsApp again.

My own BIL didn't even tell me he tested positive. And we're fairly close. He only told me today when he let it slip that he came from the doctor and has received the all clear.

 

[The_Librarian]

Work offices is now on lockdown, nobody is allowed to go to the offices. Suspect a case of COVID.

In other news, lots of EMS at Mall@55... not sure if 'rona related or not, but posting it just as a precaution.

 

[The_Mowgs]

WHO teams up with Google and Amazon against smoking

With the World Health Organization warning the globe’s 1.3 billion tobacco users are at higher risk during the global COVID-19 pandemic and in need of new tools to quit, it’s calling in the big guns.

mybroadband.co.za

So come Monday smoking will be illegal in SA