There is still a great deal that’s not known about SARS-CoV-2. This limited scientific information has contributed to a slew of myths and misconceptions. Some claims being made are harmless. Others can be potentially dangerous
The fact that women, even under normal circumstances, multitask as teachers, cooks, cleaners and more has been rendered even more vivid by the lockdown
What the government seems to have missed is that we are facing not just a medical crisis, but a psychosocial predicament that may have far-reaching consequences
Read South Africa’s Covid-19 response as presented by Professor Salim Abdool Karim on Monday
With questions about government’s Covid-19 data, researchers have started collating the information from different sources, including more details and is putting it on a dashboard to make it easier for the public to get the results
South Africa is working towards establishing a publicly-funded universal health service and now, amid the coronavirus pandemic, is the time to implement it
It is difficult for residents of informal settlements to follow guidelines to prevent Covid-19 transmission, such as hand-washing, in the absence of access to water. It is governments’ responsibility to provide these basic services
Flocking is a response to a crisis and hardship, when families, social groups, villages, countries and even the usually competitive individuals and businesses come together to counter the suffering
Automatic-control mechanisms are part of the intelligent self-regulation that occurs in nature. Thus, the outbreak of Covid-19 could very well be Gaia’s automatic reaction to restore homeostatic equilibrium
Using narratives help human beings to cope with life … reading aloud to babies and children gives them this skill for the future
Our mandatory separation from others could have dire mental and physical consequences, so best to keep some feelings in check… and check on others
Revolutions have grown out of less — millions of people without salaries are not going to sit quietly, watching elites live undisturbed
President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on the continuing efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19. This included the extension of the national lockdown by another two weeks
Movement in the grocery and pharmacy category — supermarkets, food warehouses, farmers’ markets, specialty food shops and pharmacies — has dropped by 60%
The National Education Health and Allied Workers Union says it will instead meet Health Minister Zweli Mkhize
The minister has to answer to the president after a picture was posted of her apparently breaking lockdown rules
The president needs South Africans on his side if the lockdown is to be extended. He must show leadership and censure the communications minister for breaking the regulations
In an affidavit to the labour court, the health minister says National Health and Allied Workers Union did not check the facts on the ground
The country’s elites, including the president, travelled abroad for treatment but now they must use the country’s neglected health system
‘The Plague’, an allegory of the Nazi occupation of France in World War II, is about a town’s fight against an epidemic. It’s a relevant read in the times of Covid-19
The health workers’ union says the government has rebuffed its attempts to meet about mitigating risks to workers
Everyone has a moral responsibility and critical role to play in reducing the transmission of the disease
Policymakers and pundits, however, must ensure novel solutions do not exacerbate the inequalities of the South African education system
The ways in which we respond to the coronavirus pandemic will determine the world that greets us when we emerge from lockdown
The Brazilian president broke self-isolation, despite being exposed to Covid-19, and has encouraged his supporters to do the same, while his health minister battles to contain the crisis
Several polls since the start of the pandemic show a majority of people checking the news several times a day and turning to trusted news sources and state broadcasters rather than social media
Drawing on lessons from Ebola, African artists are using music to convey public health messaging. And they are doing it in style
NGOs say the lockdown has detrimental effects on people living with substance dependence, as they try to get their fix amid heavy restriction of movement
The outbreak and the response to it is showing us that many things are possible, including the provision of water to waterless municipalities
Countries that have mandated mask-wearing for people going out in public have shown a decrease in the rate of Covid-19 infections
US President Donald Trump is good at channelling voters’ anger. And anger about the effects of Covid-19 is a factor that could help him win another term
Two women who travelled to South America for a friend’s wedding were told by the South African government to wait until Peru’s state of emergency ends. Now they could be coming home