First off, what is the Coronavirus?
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The WHO has alerted the public to be aware of the #CoronaVirus outbreak. No cases have been reported in SA. Stellenbosch Municipality would like to remind residents & visitors travelling to and from affected countries to take necessary precautions. @WHO @HealthZA @WestCapeHealth pic.twitter.com/EmsD2KHg7q
— Stellenbosch Municipality (@StellMun) January 30, 2020
The risk factor
“Those who have recently travelled, or are planning to travel, to international destinations such as the Far East should be particularly vigilant,” warns Dr Vincent.
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So, what about South Africa?
pidemiologist at the National Institute of Communicable Diseases and lecturer at the School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Dr Sibongile Walaza to comment. She reassured viewers that SA is prepared — at least regarding testing and detecting the virus. But it’s unclear how long the rest of the world is likely to remain “safe”. Currently, health officials are still trying to figure out ways to treat and prevent infection.
“In addition, there are concerns that the virus could become more contagious than it currently appears to be, and global and local health surveillance agencies including the National Institute of Communicable Diseases [NICD] and South African Department of Health in South Africa, therefore, remain vigilant,” says Dr Vincent.
Track it in real-time
Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering has designed a map that shows the spread of the virus in real-time. The dashboard collects data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organisation, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Chinese website DXY, which aggregates data from China’s National Health Commission and the CCDC. You can follow the map here.
