Experts anticipate less severe Covid fourth wave
Experts are forecasting a much less severe Covid-19 fourth wave if there's any resurgence.
The South African Covid-19 modelling consortium has presented possible scenarios for the next few months.
It's taken variants and vaccinations into account.
Professor Sheetal Silal from the Modelling and Stimulation Hub Africa says modelling predicts fewer people falling seriously ill because of vaccinations.
"If there are increases in behavioural contacts that do occur later, so in January as opposed to in November, we can see that later in smaller waves would be expected because a larger proportion of the of the population would be vaccinated.
"In the hypothetical scenario of where there is abandonment of any behavioural protective behaviour with respect to a resurgence as our scenario two, the size of the fourth wave is even then expected to be smaller than the third wave with respect to hospital admissions and deaths but the is in the absence of a new variant."
She says getting a Covid-19 jab is the only safety net, as behavioural fatigue will kick in during the holiday season.
"What these messages are really telling us is that even with increase contacts in the future and grown NPI fatigue, we can see that rapid vaccination of the population is still a powerful tool to reduce severe illness and death."
Meanwhile, the Vooma vaccination vouchers are being extended to people who are 50 and over.
They were previously only available to adults aged 60 and above.
Health Department spokesperson Foster Mohale says over four million people who are 50 and older have still not been vaccinated.
"The purpose of the vouchers - dubbed ‘Vooma Vouchers’ – is to make it easier for older people to get vaccinated by offsetting some of the costs they incur getting to the vaccination sites.
"The Department of Health’s immediate priority is to vaccinate as many people aged fifty years and older ahead of the anticipated fourth wave, because over 80% of Covid-19 related deaths have occurred in this age group."
The R100 vouchers can be redeemed at Shoprite stores and other food retailers.
