COVID-19 patients often die without family or loved ones by their side. However, they are not entirely alone. People like nurse Anthea Willemse console them in their final hour.
Roughly 42% of people with diabetes who tested positive for COVID-19 and had to be admitted to hospital in the Western Cape had died as of 16 July. Elri Voigt asked experts why people with diabetes who are hospitalised with COVID-19 have such poor prognoses.
South Africa is consolidating its place in the race for a COVID-19 vaccine with its participation starting from next month in two new international trials of vaccine candidates. Adele Baleta reports.
In South Africa responding to medical emergencies can mean risking your life, possible assault and losing some of your belongings. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated and added to these daily challenges faced by paramedics. Melissa Javan investigates.
Immunity to COVID-19 is much more interesting and much more complicated than simply something you do or do not have. Kathryn Cleary spoke to two experts about what we know about COVID-19 immunity and the implications of that for antibody testing and the development of vaccines.
In his illustrious career, Broadhurst (Broadness) Cona, learnt to fight hard on the rugby field and never gave up until the final whistle. It is this same spirit that Cona brought to another fight – surviving COVID-19 as a 73-year-old. Siyabonga Kamnqa paid Cona a visit.
The temporary closure of clinics in Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, whenever a staff member tests positive for COVID-19, has disrupted healthcare services at many of these clinics. Luvuyo Mhelwana spoke to some residents attending local clinics and the health authorities in the district and province.
New data points to fears of contracting COVID-19 at congested health facilities as the primary reason for people not seeking needed care and defaulting on their chronic medication, including HIV treatment. Amy Green reports.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has called the COVID-19 pandemic the gravest crisis in the country’s democratic history. Now, with the Western Cape and Gauteng making up nearly 64 percent of the country’s total confirmed infections, Kathryn Cleary asked departments of health in both provinces how prepared they are for the coming peak.
Stigma and discrimination makes accessing healthcare services hard for many young people living with HIV. Has it become even harder during the COVID-19 pandemic? Nomfundo Xolo spoke to young people and activists in KwaZulu-Natal.
While COVID-19 infections and deaths are rising among those older than 60 years, residential care facilities battle to keep residents safe. Elri Voigt investigates how care facilities are responding, whether they are getting the support they need from government and if the data on the situation in care homes provides a reliable picture.
Are waste service workers becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2 through their work? Is handling household waste an occupational hazard? Are the precautionary measures introduced by municipalities sufficient? Professor Wolfgang Preiser explains the science and puts the risks in perspective.
