NELSON Mandela Bay’s Public Health directorate has introduced in its health surveillance early warning system, a programme for monitoring the presence of COVID-19 in waste water, which indicatess KwaNobuhle again becoming a hotspot.
In a statement issued by the NMB Communication Office, it is said the surveillance programme is based on identification of COVID-19 messenger RNA units in waste water. Based on the baseline established from the beginning of March 2021, a spike in the COVID-19 messenger RNA units was identified on samples taken on 29 March 2021 in the KwaNobuhle area.
This has indicated that there are new cases and this could mean that KwaNobuhle could again become a hotspot towards a possible third wave.
COVID-19 hit South Africa early during March 2020 and cases peaked over the period 5-11 July 2020, during which KwaNobuhle was identified as one of the hotspots. A second wave of COVID-19 hit South Africa towards the end of 2020 and again KwaNobuhle was identified as a hotspot. Therefore residents of KwaNobuhle are urged to adhere to COVID-19 protocols, avoiding the rapid spreading of the virus resulting in a third wave.
Business Tech recently reported that a “Statistical analysis by researchers at the Nelson Mandela University has indicated that a third COVID-19 wave could impact the two big Eastern Cape metropoles of Nelson Mandela Bay and Buffalo City by the end of March or the beginning of April.”
In the report it was mentioned that professors Azwinndini Muronga and Darelle van Greunen in a column for the Sunday Times said, “They are confident of the prediction as it is based on a range of local and regional data and on a year of national modelling.”
IOL reported that epidemiological experts at a national level have warned of superspreader events over the Easter weekend as a potential catalyst for a third COVID-19 wave which would hit closer to May/June. – REPORTER
