Covid-19 - What South Africa Can Expect in the Short, Long Term

According to infectious disease specialist Veronica Ueckermann, the current trajectory of the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa is on the rise with an increase in hospital admissions in both the public and private sector recorded in the latest data. While most of the identified cases have been mild or incidental, a similar pattern was seen with the fourth wave which was short-lived in December 2021/January 2022, writes Veronica Ueckermann for The Conversation.

The evolution of the pandemic reflects changes both in the SARS-CoV-2 virus and in the human hosts, said Ueckermann. "In future we are likely to see SARS-CoV-2 become endemic with seasonal surges and the need for updated vaccines and boosters. Covid-19 will not go away but we will be able to manage the impact it has on our lives and health systems." The fourth wave of Covid-19 infection in South Africa was dominated by the Omicron variant, which was labelled a "variant of concern" by the World Health Organisation after being reported by South African scientists.

Despite the noted rise in cases, the Inter Press Serrvice called for a more urgent focus on tuberculosis amid the Covid-19 pandemic despite big pharma companies' lower investment in finding better treatment for the condition.

The relatively quick availability of several vaccines, treatment, and diagnosis for Covid-19 illustrates how billions of dollars in funding can speed up vaccine development against a new deadly disease. For example, the funding available for Covid-19 vaccine development is estimated at  U.S.$107 billion dollars while only U.S.$0.117 billion has been made available for tuberculosis.

As of May 25, 2022, a total of 3,935,761 cases of Covid-19 has been recorded in South Africa of which 101,002 proved fatal and 3,780,159 resulted in recovery. Vaccines administered to date amount to 21,636,221.