Epidemiologist and infectious diseases specialist Professor Salim Abdool Karim says South Africa cannot escape the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Professor Karim was speaking during a webinar with Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize and other experts to deal with the technical aspects relating to the country’s COVID-19 response.

Mkhize announced that the number of COVID-19 infections in South Africa had risen to 2,272 while the number of deaths increased to 27.

Professor Karim says the three biggest concerns are high density areas which include Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.

Karim says South Africa cannot escape the worse of the Coronavirus.

“As much as we have succeeded in stemming the flow of transmissions, a unique success, I have to tell you a difficult truth. Can SA escape the worst of this pandemic? No. We cannot escape this epidemic.”

Karim stressed that the lockdown was important to delay the inevitable exponential curve of COVID-19 infections.

“What next? This week, we need to lockdown and we will trace the average daily infections. During lockdown, average number of infections came down to 67 cases per day.”

Karim says while community transmissions aren’t spreading like “wildfire” as expected he adds that this coming week is critical.

Faizel Patel –

(Twitter: @FaizelPatel143)