What you need to know about Covid-19 Prof Megan Shaw MBS Dept, UWC 20 March, 2020

What you need to know
about Covid-19

Prof Megan Shaw
MBS Dept, UWC

20 March, 2020

Should you panic?

Should you be scared?

Should you be prepared?

Will life be temporarily
disrupted?

As of 19 March 2020

No. of confirmed* cases worldwide: 242 209 (<50% in China)

No. of deaths: 9992

No. recovered: 86 704

*means that they are positive on a laboratory test. Nobody knows the number of total cases

Perspective:
• 250 000 – 500 000 people die from seasonal influenza every year.
• In South Africa influenza virus kills 6000 - 11 000 every year

https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus



What is the situation in South Africa?

• First case identified on
5 March

• Two weeks later, we
have 150 cases

• Majority of cases are
imported

• 9 cases with no travel
history, thus likely
internal transmission

How are these cases handled?

• Response is led by NICD (National Institute of Communicable Diseases)
• Tracing of all contacts who are then isolated for 14 days
• Contacts who develop symptoms are tested for Covid-19

Anyone with symptoms should call the Coronavirus Hotline:
0800 029 999 or 0800 111 132

The criteria for testing include those with acute respiratory illness AND:
• Travel to or through high-risk country OR,
• Contact with confirmed or probable case of Covid-19 OR,
• Worked in, or attended, a healthcare facility where Covid-19 patients were

treated OR
• Admitted with severe pneumonia of unknown cause

14%

68%
19%

14%

88%
38%

The global Case Fatality Rate
(CFR) for COVID-19 as reported

by the WHO is: 3.46%

Case fatality rate = No. of deaths
No. of cases

But we will never
know this number!

Accurate calculation of CFR
requires a high rate of testing

South Korea has been testing
aggressively and has a CFR of 0.6%

This age
distribution has
held true in
other countries

HIV? TB?

Public Health Response for a Pandemic

First phase: CONTAIN Trace all contacts and isolate
Second phase: DELAY
No. of cases becomes impossible to trace and
healthcare facilities are overwhelmed
- encourage hand and face hygiene
- social distancing implemented

Flatten
the curve

Public health measures put in place in SA

• Travel ban for citizens from high-risk countries coming into SA
• Advise against travel of SA citizens to or through high-risk countries
• SA citizens returning from high-risk countries will be subjected to

testing and 14-day self-isolation on return to SA.
• Discourage all non-essential domestic travel, particularly by air, rail,

taxis and bus.

• Ban on gathering of over 100 people Social distancing
• Schools/universities closed until 14 April 2020
• Restaurants and bars to close at 6pm

• Plans to create quarantine units for those with mild disease who
cannot quarantine at home

Coronavirus is spread through
respiratory secretions i.e.
coughs, sneezes, saliva

Large respiratory droplets
- don’t last in air for long

The virus can survive on surfaces for 48h

How to protect
yourself and
prevent virus spread

Washing hands with Freddie Mercury!

20 seconds or
“happy birthday”
sung twice

Do not touch tap
with clean hand

Use paper towel to
open bathroom door
when exiting

You are taking care of a patient
You are the patient

Risk of self-contamination is high

My Recommendations for UWC

1. Signs in bathrooms and in common areas reminding people to wash
their hands and clean their phones, keyboards, computer mice

2. Soap and paper towel MUST be available in all bathrooms (will need to
be refilled more regularly)

3. Hand sanitizer should be placed near lifts and in areas with doors that
have to be opened by hand. If possible don’t use your hands to open
doors.

4. Lift buttons, door handles, hand rails on stairs, etc. need to be
disinfected multiple times a day (cleaners need to be trained)

Please think about this at home as well. Immediately wash hands when arriving home



Resources

All the latest information and
advice from the DOH
• News
• Myths
• About
• Prevention
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Risks
• Travel
• Testing

Any questions?