It is the season to ‘bless you’ and ‘thank you’.
It's nothing religious. Rather just the frequent sneezes we're hearing more than usual reminding us the weather is changing and, therefore, certain measures must be taken to keep the seasonal flu at bay.
Many of us are still dealing with the impact of the pandemic, so seeing others' wearing masks again may be a trigger.
But, according to health experts, it's wise to wear a mask as we get more information on this ‘new flu’ going around.
Drum sorts the facts from fiction for you.
One of the rumours that were going around recently was that the Alberton Netcare Hospital in Alberton, South of Joburg has a shortage of beds due to Covid.
However, the general manager of Netcare Alberton Hospital, Richard Mulder, says an increase in admissions is expected in all hospitals in the winter months.
This, he emphasises, is not unusual for this time of year and follows the pattern reflected in the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) Weekly Respiratory Pathogens Survey in recent weeks.
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"Netcare Alberton Hospital is generally a busy hospital, and the high volume of patients with respiratory/flu-like symptoms being seen at present is placing some added pressure on the facility, specifically in instances where the symptoms of the patients may not necessarily require visiting an emergency department.
He tells Drum that the data this year follows a similar pattern to 2023 and previous years, and hospitals are well prepared to deal with waves of infections such as this, gastroenteritis, and many other illnesses.
"In terms of advice for the public, please note that the influenza vaccine significantly reduces the chance of becoming seriously ill or requiring hospitalisation, and we would encourage members of the public to protect themselves and the community by being vaccinated.”
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The Coronavirus was first announced in 2019 in China, and a few months later, South Africa confirmed its first case of the virus in KwaZulu–Natal. The person had travelled to Italy and they were in a group of 10 when one of them had the symptoms of the virus and later tested positive.
The President stepped in to fight against the pandemic. The country went into lockdown with travel bans, booze and cigarette sales bans, as well as social distancing became a thing.
