COVID-19 OMICRON SUB-VARIANT DETECTED IN SOSHANGUVE WASTEWATER

By Sylvester Raraza

Email: sylvesterraraza@gmail.com

Twitter: @Sylvester_tut

Researchers have found a rising level of covid-19 virus particles in wastewater plants in Gauteng, which houses the Klipgat wastewater plant, and this plant services Soshanguve. The study by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) shows that the Omicron variant, the sub-variant of Omicron and elements of the deadly Delta variant were found in wastewater plants in Gauteng and in 18 wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) in five other provinces.  

The report also indicates that SARS-COV-2 found in wastewater treatment plants is rising countrywide, particularly in the Gauteng province. This also explains why we have been seeing a spike in covid-19 infections and a resurgence in clinical cases. South Africa is not in the 5th wave just yet and this is shown by the low number of severe cases, ICU admissions and a small number of deaths due to covid-19.

Wastewater testing | Picture: NICD / Twitter

According to National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) Executive Director Professor Adrian Puren, although the virus was detected in wastewater, this should not concern the public because SARS-COV-2 is not transmittable through wastewater. Professor Puren also encouraged those who have not taken the covid-19 vaccine to do so immediately and those who are already vaccinated to get inoculated with booster vaccines if they are eligible.

Covid-19 Statistics for South Africa | Picture: NICD

 

Additional discoveries by NICD scientists highlighted in the report, is that people who have been infected with covid-19 shed the SARS-COV-2 ailment through their faeces regardless of whether they show symptoms or they are asymptomatic. Infections rates are increasing daily and evidence shows that those who are not vaccinated have a decline in immune response to covid-19, compared to those who are fully vaccinated.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

NOT ENOUGH BLOOD AT THE BLOOD SERVICE

Image
by Sylvester Raraza Email: sylvesterraraza@gmail.com Twitter: @Sylvester_tut It should be of grave concern that in a population of about Sixty million (60 million) people, South Africa has low levels of blood donors. According to the South African National Blood Service (SANBS), “less than 1% of South Africans are active blood donors.” These are astoundingly low active blood donor figures, for an organization that was established in the early 2000s. South Africa is a low blood donor country, and this was worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic  and subsequent lockdown regulations (people’s movements were restricted). Fortunately,  there are now eased regulations under the ‘Disaster Management Act’, and these allow for  the free movement of South Africans, and it makes easy for blood donors to visit donor  centres. Blood donor centre | Picture: Jarryd Subroyen The South African National Blood Services (SANBS) made changes to the Covid-19 donor  deferral measures, allowing for people who have
Read more

MAMELODI TAXI DRIVER TURNED SABC RADIO SENSATION

Image
By Sylvester Raraza Twitter: @Sylvester_tut Email: sylvesterraraza@gmail.com David Mashabela at a panel discussion | Image: David Mashabela via Instagram His is a story of a typical black child: he grew up in a township northeast of Pretoria in Apartheid South Africa, single parent home and living hand to mouth. David Mashabela remembers his childhood days in the 1980s. He is Pedi by birth – Bapedi are a Southern African ethnic group that speak Sepedi, but despite being brought up in a Bapedi household, his early learning years began at a Setswana-speaking Primary School in Mamelodi. So, he never got the chance to learn in his mother tongue because the only available school and the closest to his home, at the time, taught in Setswana. PW Botha (Prime Minister of South Africa from 1978 to 1984 and State President between 1984 to 1989), declared a countrywide state of emergency because of internal resistance to Apartheid and international pressure. David has vivid memories of seeing
Read more

SHINING A LIGHT ON AGRICULTURAL WRITERS SOUTH AFRICA

Image
By Sylvester Raraza Email: SylvesterRaraza@gmail.com Twitter: @Sylvester_tut The Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) in partnership with Agricultural Writers South Africa, hosted a workshop at TUT’s Department of Journalism – Soshanguve North Campus. Agricultural Writers South Africa is a non-profit organization (npo) that promotes the public image and standards of agriculture journalism in South Africa. The NPO was established in 1977 and it is a member and associate of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ). Liza Bolmann, Chairperson Agricultural Writers SA Agricultural Writers South Africa, as an organization, represents agriculture journalists who work for agriculture magazines, newspapers, radio and television. It also allows qualified members to extend membership to people who are agriculture journalism friendly, meaning, people who want to grow the sphere of agriculture journalism, people who invest in the growth of activities that are associat
Read more