Covid19 Update: Statistics Show How Many Deaths Have Been Recorded in the 3rd Wave

Covid19 Update: Statistics Show How Many Deaths Have Been Recorded in the 3rd Wave

  • The Covid-19 third wave is taking the country by storm as the Delta variant becomes deadlier, especially in Gauteng
  • Although there have been a number of deaths due to natural causes, it will take a while before a definitive number of Covid-19 deaths is reported
  • Data was collected by a medical research council and UCT Actuarial Research but Stats SA will be collecting more information regarding the situation

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Gauteng has reportedly recorded the deadliest week since the start of the third wave of Covid-19 infections in South Africa. The infections have been driven by the Delta variant.

Over 4 800 natural deaths were reported between 27 June and 3 July, reportedly around 3 200 more deaths than expected based on historical data. In addition to the news, just over 700 Covid-19 related deaths were recorded in the same time-frame.

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The data was collected by researchers at the South African Medical Research Council's Burden of Disease Research Unit (BDRU) and the University of Cape Town's Centre for Actuarial Research (CARe).

Covid19, deadliest week, third-wave. Mzansi
Statistics of the Covid-19 third-wave have been released and it has revealed a scary amount of deaths. Image: Emmanuel Croset / AFP
Source: Getty Images

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IOL reported that on Wednesday, 7 July, Covid-19 deaths surpassed the 63 000 mark after 411 more people lost their lives to the deadly virus. This takes the cumulative number of deaths in South Africa to 63 039. The report continued by stating that there are a total of 195 493 active Covid-19 cases in SA.

A report by News24 stated that Stats SA are currently processing thousands of death forms dating back to 2018. Due to this, it may take a few years before a more solid number of Covid-19 related deaths is reported.

The Lambda variant is reportedly more transmissible than the Delta variant

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Previously, Briefly News reported that the Covid-19 Lambda variant has been making its way around countless countries across the globe but, according to reports, it has not yet been detected in South Africa. A presentation was delivered to the National Coronavirus Control Council (NCCC) on Tuesday.

In the presentation, Professor Tulio de Oliveira and Dr Richard Lessell from the Network for Genomic Surveillance South Africa (NGS-SA) stated that the variant had already been detected in one country on the African continent.

The C.37, aka Lambda variant was first detected in Peru last December and has since made its way to 30 other countries, including Egypt.

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Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Reeshni Chetty avatar

Reeshni Chetty Reeshni Chetty is a senior current affairs reporter. The Damelin journalism and media studies graduate was top of her class with 16 distinctions and she boasts experience in radio, print and digital media. When Reeshni is not rushing to bring you the most important and breaking news in current affairs, she's raising awareness around mental health. Reeshni has a passion for breaking the stigma surrounding mental health issues.

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