Senior Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) researcher, Dr Ridhwaan Suliman, reassures South Africans as Covid-19 cases show a seasonal increase, emphasising that while numbers are rising, there’s no cause for alarm.
Suliman said the Covid-19 infection rates in South Africa started to increase once again around October last year.
He said this could be seen in the trends from the National Institute For Communicable Diseases (NICD) sentinel surveillance programmes as well as the wastewater surveillance.
“The levels have risen to the highest observed over the past year. It should be noted that the flu season in South Africa has already ended, and anyone presenting with flu-like symptoms during this period is most likely to have had Covid-19,” he said.
South Africa has been experiencing these waves of SARS-COV-2 over the summer months since the emergence of the virus in 2020, he said.
Suliman said each summer has brought about a wave of Covid-19 infections, while flu has been mostly prevalent during the winter months.
"It should be noted that there is no need for the public to be alarmed, concerned, or fearful, nor to react any differently to the normal flu. If one does come down with Covid-19, the same approaches apply - get lots of rest and supplement with vitamins,“ said Suliman.
Current Infection Rates
NICD spokesperson Vuyo Sabani said data from sentinel surveillance in all provinces of South Africa shows that SARS-CoV-2, which is the virus that causes Covid-19, continues to circulate at low levels with fluctuations.
Sabani said there have been small increases in detections over the recent weeks, but not very different from fluctuations seen throughout the year.
“This programme is based at representative facilities where all patients presenting with respiratory illness are systematically tested for SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses. The systematic approach is important because it reduces any bias introduced by changes in testing practices of clinicians but is affected by health-seeking behaviour of ill individuals, and this may be different during the holidays,” he said.
Sabani said the NICD has not observed a wave and current numbers of SARS-CoV-2 observed are substantially lower than was seen in any of the pandemic waves.
“There is no reason to be concerned at this time. Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 is ongoing and updated reports will be available on the NICD webpage (www.nicd.ac.za),” said Sabani.
NICD lists key preventive measures:
- Frequent hand washing
- Avoiding close contact with persons showing respiratory illness symptoms
- Ensuring good ventilation
- Optional mask-wearing for at-risk individuals or those concerned about infection
“Wearing a face mask can potentially reduce the risk of acquiring infection in persons who are particularly concerned or protecting individuals who are at risk of severe disease,” Sabani advised.
The NICD called on anyone who experiences any symptoms of respiratory infection to report to the nearest healthcare provider if they are concerned or if symptoms worsen.
“It is also important to seek information from reputable sources and to verify information that may be circulated or recycled through social media,” said Sabani.
Global Context
The World Health Organization (WHO) said it has been five years since Covid-19 was first detected in Wuhan, China.
In a special edition of the epidemiological update on Covid-19 that gives an overview of the situation since the disease was first reported, the WHO said SARS-CoV-2 largely circulates without clear seasonality and continues to infect, causing severe acute disease and post-Covid-19 condition.
“The impact varies by country, and WHO's ability to monitor circulation, severity, and virus evolution is challenged by reduced surveillance, testing, sequencing, and limited integration into long-term prevention programmes.”
WHO said from the start of the pandemic until November 10, 2024, over 776.8 million confirmed Covid-19 cases and over seven million confirmed deaths were notified to WHO across 234 countries.
“The majority of Covid-19-associated deaths occurred in 2020, 2021, and 2022, with increased immunity leading to a significant decrease in deaths. For the latest four-week reporting period, from 14 October to 10 November 2024, 77 countries reported Covid-19 cases and 27 deaths globally. The number of reported cases decreased by 39%, with over 200 000 new cases and 36% of new deaths, compared to the previous 28 days.”