A Medical Expert in Zambia has warned that the Covid-19 third wave is now underway in Zambia.
Dr Francis Mupeta who is the Head of the Infectious Diseases Unit at UTH said the trend of new cases recorded in Zambia point to the start of a third wave.
Dr Mupeta said in the past 7 days, Zambia recorded an increase in the number of confirmed cases by 159% compared to the previous week.
He said deaths increased by 15% last week compared to previous week while the average number of hospitalization increased by 64% in the same period.
“If we look at Levy, the biggest treatment centre, the total number of hospitalised patients increased by 105% last week compared to the previous week while in the same period, patients on oxygen increased by 81% and the number of deaths by 50%,” Dr Mupeta said.
“If we compare the number of admissions at UTH and Levy in the same period, there was an increase of 57% in COVID-19 admission and a gigantic increase by 137.5% at Levy,” he said.
“Take together, we are not expecting resurgence, we have already reached resurgence thresholds in many parameters according to WHO guidelines.
In short, the third wave of COVID-19 has began.”
Meanwhile, Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary, Kennedy Malama says the Ministry will be resuming administration of the second dose of AstraZeneca on 23rd June, 2021.
Speaking during the COVID-19 update in Lusaka today, Dr Malama reiterated that the vaccination has been shown to mitigate the severity and mortality from COVID-19 and will continue building on this.
He said cumulatively, 141,722 people have received at least one dose of either the AstraZeneca or Sinopharm vaccine of which specifically 135,156 received AstraZeneca and 6566 received Sinopharm.
“Of those who received Sinopharm as their first dose, 5,286 representing 81% have gone on to receive their second dose,” he restated.
The Permanent Secretary further pointed out that government through his Ministry of Health is taking all necessary steps to ensure commodity security in the COVID -19 including isolation and treatment facilities, laboratories and points of entry (POE).
He indicated that the Ministry has continued exploring options as approved by cabinet to heighten the acquisition of additional doses of the COVID-19 vaccines in line with the approved basket of vaccines.
“One of the platforms we are exploring is the Africa vaccine acquisition platform and the country will be updated further in due course,” he said.
And Dr Malama explained that regarding learning institutions, the Ministry and its response team remain committed to ensuring that schools and higher learning institutions are safe learning environments for learners and students.
“Our ongoing surveillance in schools across the country saw 3,286 students swabbed, with 285 tested of which 13 were positive, spread across Eastern, Southern, Lusaka and Western provinces,” Dr Malama stated.
He added, “Our POE surveillance saw over 4,000 travelers screened in the last 24 hours and of these 9 were denied entry while 230 were placed under quarantine.”
Dr Malama observed that the country continues to see an increasing number of cases in Kazungula district and the Ministry of Health has since heightened interventions to prevent further escalation of cases.
“Zambia in Covid-19 third wave as new confirmed cases rise by 159% in one week”
This is a complete boondoggle. If they do more tests, more people test positive. Especially outside of flu season most positives are false positives. They can create any ‘surge’ they want to. It’s like testing healthy pregnant women with 1 Elisa P24 test and saying they’re HIV positive for the purpose of surveys if more than 10% of ELISAs are positive. And then extrapolating that number to the general population. It’s a scam.
DO I BELIEVE HIM NOT AT ALL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I DO BELIEVE ITS FAR WORSE THAN STATED
WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL AND ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO FOLLOW THE GUIDE LINES
I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT OUR PRESIDENT WOULD HAVE SHOWN CONCERN AND SUPPORT ON THIS
BUT ZERO !! IS HE OK ??? WE NEED TO KNOW OR IS HE IN A COMA ?? AS K-Z KEPT TELLING US ABOUT HH
HIS SILENCE RECENTLY HAS BROUGHT LOTS OF SPECULATION, WHY ARE WE THE PEOPLE ALWAYS LAST TO FIND OUT ANYTHING ???
I fail to believe and understand that less than
250, 000 (less than a quarter million of Zambians have been vaccinated. 17 million people have not been vaccinated. Wrong priorities – empowering people instead of buying Vaccines. It is really sad for our nation. How does the government think? Failing to think out of box. Zambia is broke.
Third wave of Covid-19: Thank you so much, totally incapable and corrupt PF government, including the lousiest MoH ever! Shame on you!
Really laughable…these PF dullards…very predictable cretins!!
This is all Propaganda by the State to stop Opposition Parties from Campaigning during the 90 day Campaign Period. Suddenly these Experts have realised that Rallies and other Political Gatherings are Covid 19 Superspreaders. Where were these Experts when ECL and PF Leadership were traversing the Country inspecting Projects and launching Empowerment Deals? Were those PF Gatherings not Superspreaders events? We are in a 90 day Official Campaign Period. The best ECZ can do is to agree with all Stakeholders on how best Campaigns can proceed while observing Covid-19 Guidelines. U can’t have free,fair and credible Elections without Political Parties Campaigning freely to the Voters. No Country has imposed Rally bans during Elections becoz of Covid-19. Why should ECL be allowed to…
Whether or not a third wave has began, the fact remains that Covid outbreaks in Africa are not as bad as in other parts of the world. There are many reasons for this, one of them being the warm climate. I personally believe Africans should find their own strategy of dealing with the disease instead of copying from other countries. Vaccines, just like foreign aid, are not the answer to our problems.
We can choose to either continue waiting until the world has enough sympathy to give us some of their vaccines or simply take control of the situation and employ measures that work best for us. Rule your destiny!
Liars.
They just want to alarm the nation and stop opposition campaigning like they are doing.
Covid or no covid, this bunch of thieves needs flushing out.
Meanwhile c.h.l.k.a.I.a HH is busy telling his supporters to defy covid rules.
PF have no shame.
What did Zambia do to deserve these crooks?
Vote wisely citizens.
Zambians don’t fall for this crap. This is all leading to PF attempting to discourage you from campaigning. These useless sycophants are working for PF. Either way we are meant to die at some point. Go out and campaign.
F CUK OFF K-Z Go back to your sewerage pit
Tikki you know you can’t say that to my face haha. You little b.i.t.ch. be a man and come to zambia and say that to my face and see how I rearrange your ugly face
KAIZER I CHALLENGED YOU BEFORE DID YOU FORGET ??
YOU A PAID BLOGGER AND WILL NEVER BE IDENTIFIED >>> WELL NOT NOW
YOU DAY IS COMING< I WILL BE IN ZAMBIA TO CAST MY VOTE BE SURE OF THAT
Tikki am not as naive as your relatives in upnd. You don’t have the guts to come to Zambia and meet me. You are just a little boy who is amused by free internet abroad. Your parents need to discipline you. You rat
When will the covid report be true? Is it after elections?
If we start dying in large numbers, the opposition will still say: ” Lungu has failed us”. To them anything coming from grz is a hoax. Ask HH why he came out with surgical gloves as if he was attending to a sick patient at ecz.