Covid19 Infections Going Down In the Western Cape But Trauma Cases Are Increasing

• The Western Cape province has seen great progress in the fourth wave with the number of infections going down
• Dr Keith Cloete, the Department of Health head in the Western Cape says numbers could be down because of less testing
• The Western Cape province is seeing fewer Covid19 related hospitalisations, however, there is an influx of trauma cases

CAPE TOWN - The Western Cape province has been seeing a decrease in Covid19 infections in recent days. While this may be positive news, the fourth wave peak has still not been reached.

Dr Keith Cloete who is the Western Cape Department of Health stated during a weekly meeting on Wednesday, 29 December the drop in the number of infections could be attributed to the low levels of testing that have been taking place.

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Cloete says not a lot of people are actually going out to get tested and that could be because of the public holidays which have restricted testing, according to News24.

Cloete adds that the Western Cape province, in the past week, saw a higher number of Covid19 cases than what was predicted by the South African Modelling Consortium.

Increase of trauma cases are increasing in the Western Cape

Hospitalisations for Covid19 have also decreased in the Western Cape, however, there has been an increase in trauma cases in the past week, according to eNCA.

The Western Cape is only experiencing roughly two Covid19-related deaths per day.

Saadiq Kariem of the Health Department in the Western Cape says alcohol-related incidents are largely causing the rise in trauma cases. Kariem says, over the Christmas weekend, the province saw 1 410 trauma-related cases across 23 of the province's busiest trauma centres.

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"Of the trauma-related cases there were 32 gunshot wounds, 506 stabbings, 332 blunt assault cases, 77 motor vehicle accidents and 51 accidents involving pedestrians," says Kariem.

Reversal of new Covid19 protocols has a negative impact on healthcare workers In rural areas, says Rudasa

Briefly News previously reported that the Department of Health's decision to backtrack on a published circular that stated Covid19 contact tracing, as well as self-isolation for asymptomatic people, would be scrapped has not been well received by some organisations.

The Rural Doctors Association of Southern Africa (Rudasa) is one of those organisations that have expressed deep disappointment in the department.

Rudsa says the department's decision to reimplement the old protocols will have a negative impact on rural areas and will in turn put pressure on health care services in the rural areas, according to News24.

Source: Briefly News