COVID-19: Social Distancing Dulling New Infections for Early-Timers

COVID-19: Social Distancing Dulling New Infections for Early-Timers

 

For countries who started on time to implement social distancing in checking the spread of Coronavirus, reports of new infections of the novel virus have are leveling off, suggesting that social distancing is working.

South Africa is first African country to announce a lockdown against the spread of the virus. The Southern African country staked 21 days. That was before other countries adopted this in bits.

South Africa, during the past fortnight South Africa has seen a dramatic, and unexpected slow-down in the daily rate of coronavirus infections.

China, Spain, Italy who are among the hard-hit in are also recovering from high new cases.

Although the United States of America and Europe are still recording aggressive deaths from the virus, the number of new infections are significantly reducing.

Health experts are warning that it is far too early to see this as a significant development, and worry that it could even trigger a dangerous sense of complacency.

However, leaders have attributed development to social distancing.

 

President Cyril Ramaphosa has now suggested that the two weeks of lockdown is responsible. He has extended the nationwide restrictions, scheduled to end in one week’s time, to the end of the month.

But – as the country and the continent continue to brace for the potentially devastating impact of the pandemic – doctors are struggling to explain what’s going on.

The beds are ready. Wards have been cleared. Non-emergency operations rescheduled. Ambulances kitted out. Medical teams have been rehearsing non-stop for weeks. Managers have spent long hours in online meetings drawing up, and tweaking their emergency plans.

But so far, and against most predictions, South Africa’s hospitals remain quiet, the anticipated “tsunami” of infections that many experts here have been waiting for has yet to materialise.

“It’s a bit strange. Eerie. No-one is sure what to make of it,” said Dr Evan Shoul, an infectious disease specialist in the main city, Johannesburg.

“We’re a bit perplexed,” said Dr Tom Boyles, another infectious disease doctor at Johannesburg’s Helen Joseph Hospital, one of the biggest public hospitals in the city.

“We’ve been calling it the calm before the storm for about three weeks. We’re getting everything set up here. And it just hasn’t arrived. It’s weird.”

It is nearly five weeks since the first confirmed Covid-19 case in South Africa, and until 28 March, the daily graph tracking the number of new infections followed a familiar, accelerating, upward curve.

But on that Saturday, the curve suddenly broke sharply – from 243 new cases in one day, to just 17. Since then, the daily average has settled at around 50 new cases.

Could it be that South Africa’s early, and strict lockdown, and its aggressive tracing work, are actually working? Or is this just a small lull?

On Thursday President Ramaphosa said it was “too early to make a definite analysis”, but he said that since the lockdown had been introduced the daily increase in infections had dropped from 42% to “around 4%”.

“I think the more people we test, the more we’ll reveal whether it’s an aberration, or it’s real. The numbers are not yet there,” cautioned Precious Matotso, a public health official who is monitoring South Africa’s pandemic on behalf of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Meanwhile, Facebook (www.Facebook.co.za) is expanding its Coronavirus Information Center to 17 more countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The Information Centers form part of Facebook’s effort to help the global fight against COVID-19 by providing people with the latest news and information from trusted health authorities as well as resources and tips to stay healthy and support their family and community.

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information Center is featured at the top of News Feed, that provides a central place for people to keep informed about the Coronavirus. It includes real-time updates from national health authorities and global organisations such as the World Health Organization, as well as helpful articles, videos and posts about social distancing and preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Facebook users can opt in to follow the center to get notifications and see updates in their News Feed from official government health authorities.

The center has already launched in South Africa, it will now be expanded to the following new sub – Saharan African markets:

Benin

Burkina Faso

Cameroon

Cape Verde

Chad

Côte d’Ivoire

Ethiopia

Gabon

Guinea

Kenya

Mali

Mauritania

Nigeria

Senegal

Seychelles

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Togo

Facebook’s Head of Public Policy, Africa, Kojo Boakye comments about the expansion; “We’ve built the information centers, in collaboration with national health partners, to ensure that people can get access to information from trusted health sources. The launch of the COVID-19 Information Center on Facebook in more than 17 countries across sub-Saharan Africa aligns with our commitment to making accurate, timely information about the pandemic accessible to all communities.”