Opinion: Six ways clinics can help turn the tide on TB infection

Six simple interventions are at the heart of how clinics can be part of turning the tide on TB infection. By following a checklist of good practice, clinics can be safer for patients and staff. However, most clinics are failing to implement enough of these measures, putting people at risk of getting TB while waiting at the clinic, argues representatives from the community clinic monitoring group Ritshidze.

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Tens of thousands of people with TB in SA not diagnosed, survey

Over 150 000 people who had TB in South Africa in 2018 were not diagnosed, according to findings from South Africa’s long-awaited National Tuberculosis Prevalence Survey. One reason for this is that an unexpectedly high number of people do not show the typical TB symptoms and are never x-rayed. Amy Green reports.

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COVID-19: How mechanical ventilation has saved lives at Groote Schuur Hospital

While high-flow nasal oxygen has been one of the success stories of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is not always enough. Sometimes more invasive mechanical ventilation is required. Tiyese Jeranji spoke to Professor Ross Hofmeyr on what mechanical ventilation entails and the measures his team at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town have employed to successfully manage these critical COVID-19 cases.

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COVID-19: What should public transport look like?

The vast majority of people in South Africa depend on public transport, which poses a heightened risk for contracting COVID-19. Practical health measures and various fascinating innovations could not only mitigate this, but change how we travel long term.

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COVID-19: Concerns mount over plans to protect prisoners

Despite measures implemented by the Department of Justice and Correctional Services to protect inmates since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, there are concerns among some civil society organisations and legal experts about the adequacy of these measures, writes Elri Voigt.

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