Active Covid cases increasing

GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - The number of recorded active Covid-19 cases in the Garden Route stood at 1 110 on Tuesday 24 May.

This is almost four times the number recorded a month ago, on 25 April, when the Western Cape Health Department reported 285 active cases.

In this period, the Garden Route recorded six deaths related to Covid-19.

Western Cape Health spokesperson Nadia Ferreira said while a fifth wave is expected this winter, it is impossible to predict how severe it will be.

"Vaccination and natural immunity are protective, but the big unknown is a new variant and whether it will cause severe disease. There is much individuals can do to keep healthy and prevent transmission to others.

"That is by ensuring your Covid vaccines are up to date, ventilating indoor spaces, wearing a mask when indoors with others or in crowded spaces, getting a flu vaccine before June, and knowing what to do if you get flu or cold-like symptoms," she said.

More information is available at https://coronavirus.westerncape.gov.za/resources.

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) on Tuesday 24 May reported 4 227 new Covid-19 cases nationally, of which 920 were from the Western Cape. Fourteen Covid-related deaths were recorded in the country in the 24 hours leading up to 24 May.

Booster doses for children

The US Center for Disease Control (CDC) has approved Covid-19 vaccine booster doses for everyone five years and older. It recommends that children aged five to 11 should receive a booster shot five months after their initial Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination series.

The CDC said vaccination with a primary series among this age group has lagged behind other age groups, leaving them vulnerable to serious illness. It has also stressed its recommendation that those 12 and older who are immunocompromised and those 50 years and older should receive a second booster dose at least four months after their first.

Children receive a smaller dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. The dosage is based on age on the day of vaccination, not by a patient's weight.

This is also true for other routinely recommended vaccines, like hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccines, according to the CDC. It says children can safely receive other vaccines the same day they receive their Covid-19 vaccine and if multiple vaccines are given at a single visit, each injection will be given in a different injection site, according to recommendations by age.

Children who have had Covid should still get vaccinated. There is emerging evidence that people can get added protection by getting vaccinated after they have been infected with the virus that causes Covid-19, says the CDC.

As at 24 May there were 1 110 reported active Covid cases in the Garden Route. Six deaths were recorded in the past month.