Tag: COVID-19

HIV+ People With Low CD4 Count Should Consult Before Getting COVID-19 Jab

Michael Gwarisa

PEOPLE living with HIV (PLHIV) who have a low CD4 count and an uncontrolled viral load have been urged to defer getting vaccinated against COVID-19 until after discussing with medical practitioners, a medical and HIV expert has said. By Michael Gwarisa CD4 cells are white blood cells that fight infection and the CD4 count is a measure of how healthy one’s immune system is when living with HIV. People Living with HIV have been listed amongst high-risk populations in the country and have also been afforded priority status under the…

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Zimbabwe Not Yet In The 3rd Wave- Experts

Michael Gwarisa

CONTRARY to widespread reports that a third COVID-19 wave was already in the country, medical and health experts have assured the nation that the nation was nearing the end of a second of a second wave. By Michael Gwarisa   There have been speculation over the past few weeks following the surging of COVID-19 cases in schools, triggering fears that a third wave might probably started in the country. Speaking during a webinar that was organised by the National AIDS Council (NAC), Dr Takunda Sola who is also the Regional…

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Zimbabwe Records Lowest New Daily Cases For The First Time In 2021

Healthtimes

THREE new COVID-19 cases were recorded over the past 24 hours in Zimbabwe, bringing the total number of active cases down to 1 072. HealthTimes Reporter The three cases were recorded after a total 1 846 tests had been conducted. According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) Daily Situation Report (SITREP), three cases and one death was recorded in the last 24 hours. Seven rolling average for new cases falls to 28 today from 31 yesterday. Today, the country recorded the lowest number of daily new cases…

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Zim COVID-19 Epidemic Curve Flattening – Dr Grant

Michael Gwarisa
Dr Grant Murewanhema

LOCAL Public Health Expert and Epidemiologist, Dr Grant Murewanhema has hinted that Zimbabwe’s epidemic curve was at the verge of flattening even though clustered sections of infections were still reported at community level. By Michael Gwarisa An epidemic curve, also known as an epi curve or epidemiological curve, is a statistical chart used to visualize the onset and progression of a disease outbreak. Presenting during an editors workshop that was organized by the National AIDS Council, Dr Grant said there was need to scale-up COVID-19 prevention interventions in  a bid…

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#LongReadAhead: Vaccines Efficacy And Effectiveness Explained

Michael Gwarisa
Dr Tinashe Gede

THE arrival of the coronavirus on our shores has to a larger extent planted an appetite for reading and commenting around health-related issues even amongst non-medical people. All of a sudden everyone is now a public health or medical analyst and this is largely due to information gaps present in our communities. By Michael Gwarisa The World Health Organisation (WHO) identified information and communication as a key pillar to the pandemic response amongst the eight pillars the world heath body has set. However, when not managed and disseminated well, information…

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Zimbabwe COVID-19 Case Fatality Among The Highest In The World-Expert

Michael Gwarisa

IN as much as Zimbabwe’s deaths from COVID-19 are relatively lower than those being recorded in other parts of the world, indications on the ground are that there is a high possibility that whoever gets infected has a greater chance of succumbing to the virus. By Michael Gwarisa Speaking to Journalists, Immunologist and Public Health expert, Dr Tinashe Gede said the country has of late been battling highly virulent COVID-19 strains, hence the high case fatality. On a relative scale, as a Continent, Africa has been relatively spared in terms…

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Vaccine Hesitancy Stands In The Way Of Zim’s Herd Immunity Target

Michael Gwarisa

THE Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) says even though numbers of people who are now taking the vaccine have increased, the hesitancy that characterized the initial stages of national vaccination program might have slowed down progress towards inoculating 60% of the population that is required to achieve herd immunity. By Michael Gwarisa Herd immunity, or community immunity, is when a large part of the population of an area is immune to a specific disease. If enough people are resistant to the cause of a disease, such as a…

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Boarding Students Not Allowed To Travel Home For Independence Holiday

Healthtimes

THE Zimbabwean cabinet has resolved that boarding school learners should not travel back home over the Independence holiday as a way of curbing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. By Tanaka Moyo Speaking during a press briefing Monica Mutsvangwa, the Minister of Information and broadcasting services said the COVID-19 confirmed cases at Sacred High School were under control as it was easily detected. Last week’s outbreak at Sacred Heart School in Umzingwane District of Matabeleland South Province was easily detected and dealt with. Out of the 248 students and 33…

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NBSZ Sets 97,000 Units Blood Collection Target For 2021

Michael Gwarisa
Epharaim Mubayi

THE National Blood Service of Zimbabwe (NBSZ) is targeting to collect an ambitious 97,500 units of blood for the year 2021 despite ongoing COVID-19 induced challenges. By Michael Gwarisa The  target also comes in the face at a time the blood bank is recovering from a dry period whereby  reserves from blood banks branches around the country had been struggling to maintain normal blood stocks  of at least least five days due to travel restrictions that saw most donors failing to access blood clinics to donate blood in the first…

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Allergies Are Not Vaccine Side Effects- Dr Chivaura

Michael Gwarisa

FAMILY Practitioner and medical expert Dr Audrey Chivaura says not all reactions being experienced after getting COVID-19 jabs were side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines but could be as a result of underlying allergies. By Michael Gwarisa By definition, an allergy is a condition in which the immune system reacts abnormally to a foreign substance. At times the immune system reacts even to a substance or exposure to something that is not even harmless. Dr Chivaura said people should make an effort to know their allergic history before taking vaccines…

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