OPINION: People should not let their guard down and be complacent.
Many scientists think that South Africa will experience a forth wave before the end of the year. This is largely based on the patterns seen between the first and second and second and third waves. These differences are largely driven by clusters, population density, movement of people, differential rates of infection of the different variants and levels of immunity from previous waves.
The physical exertion this epidemic placed on the health system was significant but pales in comparison to the mental and psychological trauma front-line workers have had to endure to date, with likely long-term consequences. People should not let their guard down and be complacent. To date, less than 50% of the 50+ population have been vaccinated and we will need about 1 million of us who are 60 years + and 1 million 50+ years to reach the target coverage rate of 75%. We have enough vaccines and vaccinators but need to support the most vulnerable to get to a vaccination site.
It is safe to visit health facilities and people who need health care should seek health care. The major gains made in decreasing deaths from HIV, TB, as well as deaths in pregnant women and children may be reversed if people do not attend clinics for testing and treatment of HIV and TB, antenatal care and immunisation of children.
The fly in the ointment – like we saw in the second and third waves – is if there is a different variant to the delta variant and if it is highly transmissible and virulent. This is not known at this time. But what we do know are that vaccines are working.
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