Pasha 84: South Africa and a resurgence of COVID-19

South Africa will almost certainly experience a resurgence of COVID-19. However, this new round is likely to be lower than the first round of infections in the country. This is because at the peak earlier in the year, restrictions were being eased and an estimated 35%-40% of South Africans had already been infected with the virus. The worry is that this time round the country's hospitals could come under great pressure if people don't adhere to non-pharmaceutical interventions – like wearing a mask and physical distancing.

In today's episode of Pasha we talk to Shabir Madhi, professor of vaccinology and director of the vaccines and infectious diseases analytics research unit at the University of the Witwatersrand. He discusses the resurgence in the country in comparison to other countries, potential vaccines and the current travel ban.

Photo: Second wave virus outbreak and coronavirus pandemic. By Lightspring found on Shutterstock

Music: “Happy African Village” by John Bartmann, found on FreeMusicArchive.org licensed under CC0 1 .

“Ambient guitar X1 - Loop mode” by frankum, found on Freesound licensed under Attribution License.

By Ozayr Patel, Digital Editor