Mzansi Today

Uk scientists say they have discovered COVID-19 cure. According to an Oxford University news release issued on Tuesday, a total of 2104 patients were randomised to receive dexamethasone 6 mg once per day (either by mouth or by intravenous injection) for ten days and were compared with 4321 patients randomised to usual care alone. The University of Oxford has reported that the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland scientists have made a breakthrough in the fight against the deadly Coronavirus by discovering that an existing drug called dexamethasone can help to cure infected patients. Among the patients who received usual care alone, 28-day mortality was highest in those who required ventilation (41%), intermediate in those patients who required oxygen only (25%), and lowest among those who did not require any respiratory intervention (13%) Peter Horby, Professor of Emerging Infectious Diseases in the Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, a...

Reasons why people die early in life are stated below: 1. Your stomach is injured when you do not have breakfast in the morning. Taking morning breakfast is very important. 2. You destroy your kidneys if you do not drink 10 glasses of water in 24 hours. This is ensure that your kidneys detoxified itself. 3. Your gallbladder is injured when you do not sleep until 11 o'clock and do not wake up to the sunrise. 4. The small intestine is injured when you eat cold and stale food. 5. Eating more of frued and spicy foods destroy your Large intestines. 6. Your lungs are injured when you breathe in smoke, dirt and polluted environment of cigarettes and bidi. 7. You injured your liver when you eat heavy fried food, junk, and fast food. Please fast food restaurants are not sign of enjoyment but means to your early grave. Reduce it to the bearest minimal. 8. The heart is injured when you eat your meal with more salt and cholesterol. Too much salt and cholesterol are destroyal of the heart. Av...

The World Health Organization has resumed its global trials of the anti-malaria drug, hydroxychloroquine as a possible treatment for COVID-19. The health body suspended the study after two research papers in respected journals flagged health dangers. But those papers were withdrawn this week. That’s just as South Africa prepares to enrol its first patients in the International Solidarity Trial. Both the New England Journal and Lancet have retracted studies that vilified hydroxychloroquine. They’re now saying the authors were unable to independently verify the data behind the analysis. Questions have emerged around the integrity of the data obtained from a little-known company called Surgisphere. The company claimed to have sourced information from more than a thousand hospitals worldwide. Last month, the WHO halted the use of hydroxychloroquine in the Solidarity Trial based on those studies. But it reversed the decision this week. The WHO admits it should have asked for the datab...

Forty-one staff in Gauteng public hospitals were assaulted last year, the majority by psychiatric patients. This was revealed by Gauteng health MEC Bandile Masuku in a written reply last week to questions in the Gauteng legislature. “In almost all the cases reported, the perpetrator was a patient and the majority were psychiatric patients …The main reason identified is that the patients are most times confused and do not know what exactly they are doing … 95% of assaults are by patients with a psychiatric diagnosis,” Masuku said. George Mukhari Hospital, north of Pretoria, had the most assaults. “There were 10 attacks, including one where three security guards were bitten by a psychiatric patient.” DA shadow health MEC and MPL Jack Bloom said: “It is very disappointing that this hospital has still not taken effective security measures as a psychiatric patient allegedly murdered another patient there recently.” Masuku said Bheki Mlangeni Hospital in Soweto had eight attacks, six of whi...

Ninety-four elderly people will be evacuated from the Ikhaya Loxolo Lase Frail Care Centre and Home for the Aged in Gugulethu this week. This comes just days after employees threatened to down tools after an elderly man tested positive for the coronavirus. It is not clear where the elderly will be taken while the facility undergoes a deep clean. The home-recorded two patient cases and at least four staff members have tested positive since the outbreak. “When the (latest) elderly man tested positive he was just chucked in a separate room and told he was in isolation. No medication was given to him, nothing. No one has been tested since, those of us who got tested went of our own accord,” expressed a health-care worker at the facility. Management at the care facility could not be reached for comment. Nomabhelu Dlamini, whose mother is at Ikhaya Loxolo Lase, said she was fearful her mother would die helpless and alone. “They are not allowed visitors during this time, while it is partly ...

South Africa’s 10 new Covid-19 deaths on Saturday came from the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Gauteng, data released by Health Minister Zweli Mkhize shows. The three provinces currently have the highest number of cases in the country. The Western and Eastern Cape accounted for 1 038 (85.2 percent) of the 1 218 new cases reported on Saturday. Deaths and recoveries With 261 deaths, the Western Cape is also responsible for just over 64 percent of the country’s Covid-19 related fatalities. Across the country, 10 104 patients have recovered from Covid-19, Mkhize’s office said. Saturday’s big jump in infections comes as South Africa prepares to ease down to level 3 lockdown in the coming days. On Sunday President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the nation to provide an update on developments in South Africa’s risk-adjusted strategy to manage the spread of Covid-19, the presidency said. LATEST BREAKDOWN The brigade of Cuban healthcare professionals who arrived n South Africa earlier this mont...

South Africa’s 30 new Covid-19 deaths on Thursday came from the Western Cape, data released by Health Minister Zweli Mkhize shows. It shows that 25 deaths came from the Western Cape, while the remaining 5 came from the Eastern Cape. In terms of confirmed cases, the two provinces accounted for 944 new infections out of the 1134 new cases confirmed – or over 83% of new cases. Since Monday, there have been 77 Covid-19-related deaths between the two provinces, with the rest of the country’s seven provinces recording 31 deaths in the same period. Mkhize said over 525 000 tests had now been conducted since March, with over 18 500 tests being done in the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said on Thursday that a joint meeting between ministers from the national office, the Eastern Cape and his Western Cape government took place to underline solutions to the transportation of bodies between the two provinces during the pandemic. He said it had been resolved tha...

Rosemary is a plant that has got a nice scent that you can never get tired of. It has got a number of benefits to the human body like reducing stress, helping to cut down weight and also improves the functioning of the brain. Below are some of the ways in which rosemary helps in brain power; 1. Rosemary Tea Drinking rosemary tea will increase your cognitive ability a great deal. You can add some leaves of rosemary to your normal tea or better still you can boil the rosemary leaves and drink the solution. It will improve your brain functioning. 2. Sniffing the Rosemary Sniffing the rosemary plant will help you get rid of any stress in you. The scent from the plant contains anti-depressant effects that can help contain stress. Sniffing rosemary leaves will give you a relaxed mind hence a healthy brain. 3. Use Of Rosemary Oils Rosemary essential oil is not only good for your skin but also excellent to your brain. It makes your body and brain relaxed. People who use rosemary essential oi...

Sometimes people adopt a tendency to brush aside minor health issues as nothing to worry about, but the reality is such symptoms could be a sign of impending danger. It is true that not every illness could turn out to be fatal, but some have hazardous consequences when not addressed in time. But how would you know whether a symptom is serious or not? As a matter of fact, you can’t. Even the most dangerous of diseases could have extremely minor symptoms. It can be tempting to downplay those small issues, but they could be the only warning you get before the full force of a dangerous disease strikes. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 948,000 Americans reported using drugs and might be your loved ones are addicted and taking some drugs like heroin, alcohol etc.. But how would you know whether a symptom is serious or not? As a matter of fact, you can’t. But you can check the source and monitor the symptoms so that you can help and recover. If you or your loved ones are u...

A Coronavirus survivor has been questioned how he made it without dying of Coronavirus and he reply by saying this. Check his conversation below;         Can you tell us what you did and who you walk with that made you survive the Coronavirus? I walk with a God, a Spirit, A Shepard that leads me besides still waters. I walk with God, the carpenter who turns bitterness to sweetness and changes grief to gold. When he roars, the sky itself reels with love and fire in his presence turns to a rosebush. I walk with the king, whose servants have welcomed me in his palace, for his excitement, these servants set a banquet for me in the eyes of my enemies, where roses open their shirts in worship, He's God. A One being inside of us, one peace, one love, one joy. That is God, who promises not to leave nor forsake us somewhere in the barbaric streets of an African ghetto child, whose people would rather love for what u have. When men say they can't he can, sweet...

The number of deaths linked to the coronavirus reached 100,000 on Friday, as the tally of cases passed 1.6 million, according to a Reuters tally. The first death came in the central Chinese city of Wuhan on Jan. 9. It took 83 days for the first 50,000 deaths to be recorded and just eight more for the toll to climb to 100,000. The toll has been accelerating at a daily rate of between 6% and 10% over the past week, and there were almost 7,300 deaths globally reported on Thursday. The death toll now compares with that of London’s Great Plague in the mid-1660s, which killed an estimated 100,000 people, about a third of the city’s population at the time. But it is still far short of the so-called Spanish flu, which began in 1918 and is estimated to have killed more than 20 million people by the time it petered out in 1920. The novel coronavirus is believed to have emerged in a Wuhan market where wild animals were sold late last year. It quickly spread through China and around th...

Grilling seafood can be a little daunting given that they easily stick which ruins your chance of serving it elegantly. The delicate structure of the fish makes it difficult to maneuver it on the grill perfectly. However, difficult doesn’t mean impossible, there are ways to help you make that pristine grilled fish you can be proud of. It will take you a couple of tries but you’ll eventually get the hang of it. 1. Skin of the Fish If you’re baking the fish, then it’s fine to remove the skin, but if you’re planning to grill it in the open heat then it’s advisable to keep the skin on. This prevents the meat from falling apart when you’re flipping the fish. Some types of fish, when grilled with their skins on, will turn out even better. For example, the trout and mackerel have thin skin, which turns deliciously crispy when grilled. It is also advisable that you grill the fish with the skin facing down because it has more integrity and it’ll be easier to separate it from the grate. 2...

Cosatu-affiliated unions continue to take the government to task over the treatment of public servants working to fight the coronavirus pandemic during the national lockdown. SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) has accused municipalities of forcing its members to take annual leave while others are forced to work overtime, without compensation Samwu general secretary Koena Ramotlou said municipalities countrywide were forcing their employees to apply for leave, as they would not be on duty for almost a month. Ramotlou said the union would fight against the move, as it considered it to be illegal. We once again reiterate our call that municipal workers should refuse to sign any leave forms. “ They should not allow themselves to be bullied or coerced into signing any leave form,” he said. Ramotlou said Samwu would also be fighting for compensation of overtime for those working as part of essential service in municipalities. “Workers have further reported that there has been no co...

The Western Cape Health Department said that a stringent protection plan was in place to protect healthcare workers from COVID-19. At St Augustine’s Hospital in Durban there’s been 66 confirmed cases of COVID-19, of which 48 were staff members. Head of health in the Western Cape, Keith Cloete, said that there’s been 11 documented COVID-19 positive health workers over the past four weeks, of which four are import-related. Cloete said that only three cases happened at a health facility. He said that there was a protection plan in place. “We start off with very clear guidelines which is based on risk of exposure and we maximally protect the staff in the high-risk areas with protective gear – the appropriate mask, the appropriate gown and then the very, very strict protocols that goes with the disposal of that materials.” Cloete said that when there was significant staff infection and spread from worker to worker, anyone who was positive and those who have had close contact...

The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) is demanding that the St Augustine’s Hospital in Durban be closed down. Sixty-six people have tested positive for COVID-19 at the health facility and 48 of them are believed to be staff members. The union is accusing the hospital of negligence. Denosa KZN’s Mandla Shabangu says closing parts of the hospital will not solve the problem. “They must close the whole hospital, fumigate the whole thing and then take it from there. If the minister is serious he must set an example and close it down" Coronavirus Hotline Number: 0800 029 999 from 8 am to 4pm, Monday to Friday Help protect your loved ones by sharing this official South African government COVID-19 service with your family, friends and community. Send HI to 0600 123 456 on WhatsApp. The NICD has another Clinician Hotline to improve #COVID19 communication and support for healthcare providers. The Clinician Hotline is 0800 11 1131, operating 24 hrs. Th...

WHO weighs in on the COVID-19 drug trials in Africa issue. Speaking to journalists during his daily virtual Press briefings on Monday, WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said human beings were equal. He insisted that existing laid down procedures for trials would be adhered to in all research anywhere in the world. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has described views of two French scientists who last week suggested that trials for a COVID-19 vaccine could be done in Africa as “racist” and a hangover of “colonial mentality”. “We will follow all the rules to test any vaccine or therapeutics all over the world, using exactly the same route, whether it is in Europe, Africa or wherever. We will use the same protocol,” said Dr Ghebreyesus. He warned the scientists to stop what he described as a “hangover from colonial mentality”. “It was a disgrace, appalling to hear during the 21st century from scientists, that kind of remark,” said Dr Ghebreyesus.   “We ...

The Minister of Health Dr. Zweli Mkhize says the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has increased to 1749 from 1686 on Monday night. Mkhize said the number of deaths due to the virus now stands at 13. The latest death was that of a 60-year-old man in KwaZulu Natal who had prostate cancer. He died from complications related to the coronavirus. The increase in confirmed cases is up by 63 from the numbers announced on Monday night. Mkhize said his department was worried about St Augustine’s Hospital in KwaZulu Natal. 66 people who had been linked to the hospital have tested positive for the virus. Of the total infected, 48 were staff members.   The minister said the provincial and national health department were in talks with the hospital management to close down certain parts of the hospital. He said screening and the fumigation of the hospital would get underway. Specialists were also being sent to the hospital to assist. Mkhzie said the good news was that some of th...

The Department of Health has commenced with a mass screening and testing programme that will see health workers visit homes and communities across the country. Should you display symptoms of the virus in your screening, you will be referred to a healthcare facility for a test. Here is what the test entails: Upper Respiratory Tract – With the patients head titled back, a swab is slowly inserted through the nostril until the nasopharynx (the upper part of the throat connecting to the nasal cavity) is reached. The swab is to be rotated and held in this position for a few seconds then removed slowly. Lower Respiratory Tract – With the patients head tilted back slightly and mouth wide open, saying “aaah” with the swab inserted into the mouth to first rub the tonsils and then pharynx (back of the throat in a figure 8 motion) – this is the primary site of infection with the highest viral load. Sputum Collection – The patient is asked to cough and produce saliva that has been broug...

  COVID-19: Update on British Prime Minister health. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has spent the night in intensive care at a central London hospital after his coronavirus symptoms worsened. Downing Street said he was moved to the unit on the advice of his medical team and was receiving “excellent care”. World leaders – including US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron – have expressed their support for Mr Johnson. BBC political correspondent Chris Mason said the prime minister was given oxygen late on Monday afternoon, before being taken to intensive care. Mr Johnson has asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to deputise “where necessary”, a spokesman added. The prime minister, 55, was admitted to St Thomas’ Hospital with “persistent symptoms” on Sunday evening. The Queen has been kept informed about Mr Johnson’s health by No 10, according to Buckingham Palace. The move means the prime minister is closer to a ventilator – which takes over the body’s breathi...

Parts of your body you Mustn't touch Our hands are covered in germs that are spread to these sensitive body parts, and in some instances, they can also gather more germs which are then transmitted to other people. These habits are damaging to your health and the health of those around you. Aside that, you can contact coronavirus by using your affected hand to touch some parts of your body. Below are parts of your body that if you touch with your hand, you will contact coronavirus; 1. Your Face Look around a coffee shop and you'll see a good number of people resting their face in their hands. But unless you are washing your face or applying moisturizer, hands off! Putting your durty hand on your face is delicate this period cause your hand might have been affected by coronavirus and by putting the hand on your face you can contact the viuirus. 2. Your Ears The insides of our ears are delicate and very prone to damage, which is why you should resist the urge to dig in deep to r...