B.1.1.529 has a genetic profile very different from other circulating variants of interest and concern – it does not seem to be a “daughter of delta” or “grandson of beta” but rather represents a new lineage of SARS-CoV-2. The spike protein alone has over 30 mutations – important as the spike protein is what makes […]
FEATURED NEWS
What COP26 means for South Africa
The governments of South Africa, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, along with the European Union, have announced a new ambitious, long-term Just Energy Transition Partnership to support South Africa’s decarbonisation efforts. The Partnership aims to accelerate the decarbonisation of South Africa’s economy, with a focus on the electricity system, […]
The Absolute Hypocrisy of Politicking
HYPOCRISY – a person who feigns some desirable or publicly approved attitude, especially one whose private life, opinions, or statements belie his or her public statements. GoSouth – 20 October 2021 As we head for elections and the DA boast endlessly about their ‘wonderful governance’, many in the City of Cape Town do not agree […]
Preliminary research finds that even mild cases of COVID-19 leave a mark on the brain
People who had been infected with COVID-19 showed a loss of brain volume even when the disease was not severe enough to require hospitalization. Jessica Bernard, Associate Professor, Texas A&M University – 24 September 2021 With more than 18 months of the pandemic in the rearview mirror, researchers have been steadily gathering new and important […]
Your immune system is as unique as your fingerprint – new study
Albert J.R. Heck, Professor of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University 22 September 2021 Every person appears to have a unique immune system. My colleagues and I discovered this immune diversity after charting antibodies in the blood from healthy and sick people. The discovery could help explain why, for example, COVID vaccines appear to be […]
Don’t think the judiciary can’t be captured
Helen Zille 3 September 2021 “All Truth passes through three phases, first it is ridiculed, second it is violently opposed, third it is accepted as being self-evident.” This profound insight comes from German philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer, and is as true today as it was in the 19th Century. South Africa is a living testament to this […]
SA health experts have identified a new lineage of SARS-CoV-2: what’s known
1 September 2021 As a team of South African researchers we have identified a new lineage of SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19. A lineage represents a genetically distinct virus population with a common ancestor. This virus may be designated as a variant in future, based on significantly altered properties, but first we need to understand […]
Ronapreve for COVID-19 treatment – everything you need to know
Lara Marks, Visiting Research Fellow, History of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cambridge – 26 August 2021 The UK medicines regulator has just approved a new COVID-19 treatment. Branded Ronapreve in the UK and REGEN-COV in the US, the drug was developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals with Roche. It first grabbed headlines in October 2020 when President […]
Modise proposes ‘intermediary force’ to deal with riots, unrest
defenceWeb – 25 August 2021 Defence and Military Veterans Minister Thandi Modise told a sitting of the National Assembly that there is a need to consider deploying a special “intermediary force” that will be trained and equipped to deal with domestic violence and unrest situations. Modise said this when the National Assembly considered reports of […]
Same old funding model can’t keep South African cities going or serve residents
Theo Covary, Energy policy expert / researcher, University of Cape Town 13 August 2021 Local government, neglected under apartheid in South Africa, was elevated in the 1996 constitution so as to strengthen democracy and help redress past inequities. The idea was that by making services (water, electricity, and refuse) accessible and affordable, national government would […]