Bracing for the third wave
The third wave may not be as bad as the second one, since at least 30% of the SA population has had the virus
A third wave of Covid infections is inevitable, says Aspen Pharmacare executive Stavros Nicolaou — but it is unlikely to be as bad as the second wave.Nicolaou, who is also head of Business for SA’s public health workgroup, says there is greater "natural immunity" in the population. At least 30%-40% of the country is believed to have already had it.Nonetheless, SA won’t escape winter deaths, as the season always sees a rise in respiratory infections, made worse by people gathering indoors where ventilation is poor, he says. Every year, SA reports about 11,000 flu deaths.Nicolau says that getting a flu jab is critical, since it would be better if hospitals didn’t become simultaneously overwhelmed by flu and Covid cases.He says SA is not in the third wave yet. "Deaths are low and daily infections are rising off a low base."But there are signs that new infections are rising, at least in Gauteng, the Northern Cape, the Free State and the North West.It takes about two to three months fo...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.