JOHANNESBURG – South Africa on Saturday surpassed 500,000 cases of COVID-19, representing more than 50% of all coronavirus infections reported in African countries.
Health Minister Zwelini Mkhize announced 10,107 new instances on Saturday night, bringing the country’s cumulative total to 503,290, 8,153 deaths.
South Africa, with a population of approximately 58 million, has the fifth largest number of cases in the world, the United States, Brazil, Russia and India, all countries with particularly high populations, according to a Johns Hopkins University account. Experts say the record of a real global pandemic is much higher than the cases shown, due to the limited number of evidence and other reasons.
Gauteng Province in South Africa, which includes Johannesburg, the country’s largest city, and Pretoria, the capital, is the country’s epicentre with more than 35% of the cases shown. Local hospitals are suffering to cope, and fitness experts say the country can succeed at the peak of its epidemic last August or early September.
Cape Town, a city popular with foreign tourists in the far south of the country, was the first epicenter and peaked last month, according to fitness experts.
Covid precautions19
Most patients with COVID-19 have mild to moderate symptoms. However, in a small proportion of patients, COVID-19 can lead to a more serious illness, adding death, especially in other older people or with chronic diseases.
COVID-19 occurs mainly through respiratory droplets that occur when an inflamed user coughs or sneezes.
Symptoms come with fever, cough and shortness of breath. Symptoms appear within 14 days of exposure to an infectious person.
Health officials in Virginia have suggested the following precautions:
COVID-19 Quick Links
Virginia Department of Health updates on COVID-19 in Virginia
CDC updates on COVID-19 in the United States
CDC: COVID-19 Prevention and Remedy
CDC: COVID-19 Symptoms
CDC: Frequently Asked Questions
Updates on COVID-19 of the World Health Organization (WHO)
Eliminates WHO COVID-19 myths
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