A 2-day-old baby born prematurely has become the country’s first neonatal Covid-19 death.

The death toll has hit 339.

The baby was born prematurely and had lung difficulties which required ventilation support immediately after birth. The mother had tested positive for Covid-19 and the child subsequently tested positive.

The number of cases is now at 18 003 – an increase of 803.

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Experts have painted a grim forecast of South Africa’s battle with Covid-19, with a death toll of as many as 45 000 dying as soon as November. The projections also say that the country will soon struggle to meet the demands of people needing ICU beds. The death toll by the end of the month is expected to rise to 500 and the number of cases will hit one million by between June and November.

A new study has attempted to explain how a single case of Covid-19 at St Augustine’s Hospital in Durban led to 135 infections within just 21 days. The spread of the virus caused parts of the hospital to be closed down, and accounted for nearly 14% of all Covid-19 cases in KwaZulu-Natal at the end of April.

Mediclinic, a group of private hospitals, has estimated that there could be 200 000 Covid-19 cases in the Western Cape by July for people with medical aid, while Gauteng could have 100 000 cases by November. The group expects surges in other provinces, but at later dates.

Teachers’ unions and education organisations have criticised the government’s back to school plan, saying the plan lacks sufficient detail. Unions feared returning to school without necessary precautions could put lives at risk. The basic education department announced on Tuesday that schooling will return on 1 June for grades 7 and 12 and for small schools.

Parent24 reports that parents are split on the proposed resumption of schooling. Some parents felt sending their children back to school would be risky, and a few reported being open to the idea of homeschooling.

International headlines

The global economy could be set back by a harrowing $82 trillion (the equivalent of R1.47 quadrillion in current rand estimates) in damages related to the coronavirus pandemic over the next five years, according to recent findings by a University of Cambridge department that examines systemic risks.

Brazil’s health ministry recommended using chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to treat even mild cases of Covid-19, a treatment President Jair Bolsonaro has pushed for despite a lack of conclusive evidence of their effectiveness.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday the country will have 25 000 virus tracing staff recruited by June so the country can “make progress” in its strategy to keep easing the nationwide lockdown.

US President Donald Trump again lashed out at China on Wednesday over the coronavirus pandemic, blaming Beijing for “mass worldwide killing.”

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– Compiled by Kerushun Pillay