Daily Podcast – August 17, 2021

17th August 2021 By: Sane Dhlamini - Creamer Media Senior Contributing Editor and Researcher

Daily Podcast – August 17, 2021

Photo by: Reuters

For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Sane Dhlamini.

Making headlines: Education department and clinicians asks parents ‘not to panic’ as Covid-19 cases among children rise, 7 983 new cases in South Africa as confirmed death toll climbs by 299 and, Ivory Coast begins Ebola vaccinations after case confirmed

 

Education department and clinicians asks parents ‘not to panic’ as Covid-19 cases among children rise

Health experts and the basic education department have appealed for calm amid an increase in Covid-19 cases among children.

Official data shows a rise in cases in children between the ages of 10 and 19 years, which the National Institute for Communicable Diseases says can most likely be "explained by clusters reported from schools".

However, clinicians and government officials have stressed the point that most children will only experience mild symptoms.

In recent weeks, the parents of two children in KwaZulu-Natal have claimed that their children died of Covid-19. Medical experts have not yet confirmed this.

 

7 983 new cases in South Africa as confirmed death toll climbs by 299

South Africa recorded 7 983 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 on Monday and 299 deaths, bringing the confirmed death toll to 77 440.

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases reported that 7 983 new Covid-19 cases have been identified in South Africa, representing a 21.1% positivity rate.

The majority of new cases from Western Cape at 27% followed by KwaZulu-Natal 24%.

To date, over 2-million people are fully vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine, while more than 2.1-million are vaccinated with the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

 

Ivory Coast begins Ebola vaccinations after case confirmed

Ivory Coast began vaccinating health workers against Ebola in the commercial capital Abidjan on Monday after a case of the deadly virus was confirmed over the weekend.

An 18-year-old woman tested positive on Saturday after travelling by bus to Abidjan from neighbouring Guinea.

It is Ivory Coast's first confirmed case of Ebola in 25 years.

About 200 health workers, many from the hospital in Abidjan where the woman was admitted, received shots and the health ministry said it was aiming to vaccinate 2 000 people by Wednesday.

Ebola spreads through contact with the body fluids of symptomatic people.

 

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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