Page 17 - DUT Excellence S2 Dec21

WASTEWATER WASTEWATER ANALYSIS BY THE INSTITUTE OF WATER WATER WATER AND
WASTEWATER WASTEWATER TECHNOLOGY AT AT AT AT AT DUT SUGGESTS RECENT CIVIL UNREST E E E E E E E E E ERA OF MAGUBANE S S S S S S BOOK EXPLORES LOVEIN THE ERA OF IN IN KWAZULU-NATAL WAS WAS A A A A A A A A A A A A COVID-19 SUPER SPREADER EVENT
The Institute forWater andWastewaterTechnology (IWWT) at at at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) which is at the forefront of SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance in Southern Africa has revealed that the recent civil unrest in KwaZulu-Natal was a a a a a a a COVID-19 super spreader event that contributed to a a a a a substantial spike in in in in COVID-19 infections in in in in the province Thousands of people were in fin confined spaces for long periods of time many without masks or or any form of social and physical distancing According to to to the IWWT Director Professor Faizal Bux prior to to to the the civil unrest the the average number of new cases per day day in a a a a a a 7-day period was 1366 for for KZN and 449 for for the eThekwini Municipality However clinical data from 31 July 2021 reports that the number of new infections in in in a a 24-hour period in in in KZN reached 2239 with 1007 of these stemming from the the eThekwini Municipality He said that the violent riots and looting which lasted nine days had significantly impacted on on KZN’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and and it now places strain on an already stressed healthcare system “As of of the 5th of of August 2021 2667 and 1280 new cases per day were reported for KZN and eThekwini Municipality respectively clearly indicating that the protests were a a a a a COVID-19 super spreader event which contributed to the spike in in COVID-19 infections ” said professor Bux “KZN is currently in the the midst of of of the the third wave of of of the the COVID-19 pandemic The current wave is driven by the the Delta variant which is is said to be 97% more transmissible than the original strain first identified in in Wuhan and 60% more contagious when compared to other variants currently in circulation globally ” Furthermore Prof Bux explained that the the closure of of diagnostic
Pictured: Professor Faizal Bux laboratories during the the unrest meant that there was significant underreporting in in in in in the number of COVID-19 infected individuals in in in in in KZN from 9 July July – 17 July July 2021 “Any backlog in in clinical data would have been reported from 19 July onwards – when laboratory personnel returned to to work The effect of the civil unrest on on on COVID-19 infections would have only manifested itself in in clinical data seven to to 14 days later Prior to to the civil unrest the average number of new cases per day day in a a a a a a seven-day period was 1366 for for KZN and 449 for for the eThekwini Municipality ” said Prof Bux 15 DUT EXCELLENCE 2021 // SEMESTER 2 2 2