South Africa’s confirmed COVID-19 cases have increased to 5 350 and deaths to 103, an increase of 10.
Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize says this increase of 354 new cases since Tuesday is the highest number in a 24-hour cycle recorded to date, and represents a 73% increase relative to the day before.
The total number of tests conducted to date is 197 127, of which 11 630 were done in the last 24 hours. He added that not only was this the highest number of tests done in a 24 hour period, but it also yielded the highest number of COVID-19 positive cases from a 24 hour cycle of testing at 3%.
According to the Minister, the 10 new deaths are from Gauteng, Western Cape, Kwazulu Natal and the Eastern Cape. Regrettably, one of the Western Cape deaths was that of a registered nurse who worked for the Department of Health who contracted the virus through community transmission and not a healthcare facility.
Elaboration of the Deaths
Gauteng accounted for 3:
- An 89 year old female who presented with shortness of breath
- An 82 year old female who had underlying chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (lung disease). She also presented with acute renal failure and a concomitant urinary tract infection
- An 80 year old male who presented with fever and shortness of breath. He too had underling COPD (lung disease)
Western Cape accounted for 4:
- A 57 year old male presenting with fever and shortness of breath, who had underlying hypertension
- A 61 year old female who presented with flu like symptoms and low blood oxygen. She also had hypertension
- A 58 year old female who presented with fever and shortness of breath. She also had hypertension
- A 33 year old female who presented with flu like symptoms and low blood oxygen. Her case is concerning as she was subsequently diagnosed with acute myocarditis (inflammation of the heart).
KwaZulu-Natal accounted for 2:
- An 89 year old female who had underlying conditions of hypertension, diabetes and cardiac (heart) disease
- A 67 year old female who had underlying conditions of asthma and arthritis
Eastern Cape accounted for 1:
- A 39 year old female who presented with pneumonia. She was living with HIV and also had TB and cryptococcal meningitis.
Source: sacoronavirus.co.za
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