A year on from Patient Zero, 5 lessons we've learnt

On the 5th March 2020, the Health Department released information on patient zero, a father of two from Hilton, near Maritzburg. 

The country's top advisor on COVID-19, Professor Salim Abdool Karim says during the first month of the outbreak he was very concerned about hospital treatment for coronavirus patients. 

But he says patient zero, who was 38 at the time gave the country hope. 

"It would have been a very different situation if he was a very elderly person and had a severe case of COVID-19. 

"He would have died for that matter, it would have set the tone and the belief systems would've been different. So, I think any many ways - what Patient Zero did was set the right tone that this disease can be managed. WE have much to thank his doctor because she did a good job." 

Karim addressed the media at the Nelson R Mandela Medical School at the UKZN. He got his Covid-19 shot yesterday.

5 lessons from South Africa’s COVID-19 response: 

1.      1. Took the disease seriously and acted timeously

•         Took difficult decision bravely, willing to do what is needed even if unpopular 
•         Pro-active planning and early implementation of intervention and pro-active planning

2 .      2.. Truthful and pro-active in communicating with the public

•    Minister publishes statistics daily and regular media briefing to keep public informed

3.      3. The COVID-19 response has had its errors, problems and abusers

• Abuse by lockdown military patrol, some irrational regulation, PPE corruption

4.      4. South Africa can move mountains when we act together

• Defy ventilators, people helping people in times of hardship, the Solidarity Fund

5.      5. Draw upon this experience to prepare for the next pandemic

• Epidemic Response Unit with surveillance and integrated data networks
• Build local diagnostic test and vaccine manufacturing facilities
• Surveillance for variants – threat to our vaccination strategy