Dylan Bettencourt
Gauteng is in danger of a severe third wave, as cases rise to over 2,000 daily in the province alone.
This is according to Professor Francois Venter, head of the Ezintsha research group at the University of Witwatersrand.
On Saturday, Gauteng recorded 2,225 new infections with a total of 10,986 in the last seven days.
“All the data points to a very severe third wave in Gauteng,” Professor Venter told the Daily Maverick.
He said it was difficult to understand the human behaviour that led to this situation.
“We are still learning what is driving these waves,” he said.
He said while politicians blame the public for the occurence of the waves, the waves are highly symmetrical and predictable indicating that there is an explanation beyond human factors.
Venter asserted that public gatherings played a part in the rising infections but wondered if biological or environmental factors also contributed to the waves.
President and CEO of the South African Medical Research Council, Dr Glenda Gray, said they were concerned about Gauteng, the Free State and the Northern Cape.
She said the Western Cape’s second wave was far worse than the first and Gauteng is similarly poised to experience a third wave which is more damaging than its second.
A significant number of South Africa’s experts, including Venter, believe that the country’s vaccine rollout has been disappointing.
He said that between 60,000 and 70,000 people were vaccinated every day last week.
“We need to be doing over 150,000 a day. We are so far behind schedule,” he said.
However, Gray suggested that their focus should be elsewhere.
“We have to worry about oxygen supplies. Hopefully, experience in the first and second waves has prepared us in terms of oxygen.”
Scrolla.Africa reported last week that South Africa’s low vaccination rate, combined with a steep rise in cases, leaves it very vulnerable to shortages of supplies of medical oxygen.
