South Africa: Provinces continue to report COVID-19 activity in March

Event

South African authorities have reported 14.4 confirmed cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 population Feb. 28-March 29. Disease transmission has been reported nationwide, with the Western Cape province the most at risk reporting 41 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population, followed by Gauteng (33 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population). This represents the most complete data available as of March 29.

Context

COVID-19 is a viral respiratory disease caused by infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Human-to-human transmission occurs primarily through respiratory droplets from infected individuals or contact with contaminated surfaces or objects. Symptoms occur 1-14 days following exposure (average of 3-7 days). These symptoms typically include fever, fatigue, and dry cough; less common symptoms include headache, diarrhea, loss of taste or smell, reddening of the eyes, skin rash, or discoloration of the fingers or toes. Symptoms may worsen to difficulty breathing, pneumonia, and organ failure - especially in those with underlying, chronic medical conditions. Some infected individuals display no symptoms. Multiple variants of COVID-19 have been identified globally, some spreading more easily between people, like Omicron. COVID-19 vaccines are distributed across population groups, with evidence suggesting strong protective effects against COVID-19 variants.

Advice

Older individuals and people of any age with chronic medical conditions or compromised immunity should consider postponing nonessential travel, including domestic travel, and take special precautions to avoid becoming ill, especially where sustained community transmission of COVID-19 is ongoing. All individuals should monitor their health and limit interactions with others for 14 days after returning from travel.