By: Aneeqa du Plessis

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) has registered Paxlovid, an anti-viral medicine manufactured by Pfizer, to treat Covid-19. It is used for the treatment of mild to moderate Covid-19 in adults, who do not require supplemental oxygen but are at increased risk for progression to severe Covid-19. Sahpra says Paxlovid consists of tablets for a five-day oral treatment regimen, with morning and evening doses. Side-effects include hypersensitivity reactions, diarrhoea, vomiting, and altered taste. The authority says the registration of Paxlovid is a welcome signal in the fight against the pandemic.

Speaking on VOC’s Breakfast show on Friday morning, Western Cape Department of Health’s Chief Operating Officer, Dr Saadiq Karriem explained the current Covid-19 status in the province.

The Western Cape’s active cases sit around 715. However, hospitalizations and ICU patients remain generally low. This comes after the announcement of a new Omicron sub-variant named Kraken in the country.

“The number has increased slightly but we attribute the uptick to the return of children to schools as well as citizens generally returning to normality following the festive season,” explained Karriem.

According to Dr Karriem, the number of patients that have been hospitalised with covid is 26. Three of them are currently in ICU.

“We’ve been watching the new variant and we currently have 20 cases in the province and we will monitor it regularly to see how it progresses,” said Karriem.

The Health Department says people between 18-49 can now go for their fourth dose of the Covid-19 booster shot. The department’s vaccination team says people over 50 will be eligible for their fifth dose. A booster injection can only be taken six months after the previous shot.

“We still encourage people to get vaccinated from the disease and if you’ve already been vaxxed, we urge you to get your booster shots too because as we know over time one’s immunity does wane and having regular boosters will protect you,” added Karriem.

For more information visit: https://www.westerncape.gov.za/dept/health

VOC