Leadership Lekgotla appointments and other updates

A major study investigating the relationship between COVID-19 and cardiovascular disease and led by Professor Karen Sliwa will be presented at a global cardiology congress.

The UCT and Western Cape Government Community of Hope Vaccination Centre will boast 12 vaccination stations and five patient check in points.

More than 1.5 million children worldwide have lost their primary caregivers – at least one parent or grandparent – to COVID-19.

An advocacy brief series by the Children’s Institute serves as a guide to ensure that children are better prioritised in response and recovery plans.

A recent study from UCT confirmed that people living with diabetes are at an increased risk of severe COVID-19 (hospitalisation and mortality).

Emeritus Professor Robin Wood provides input on why there should be emphasis on disease transmission when buildings are designed and built.

A study led by UCT’s Professor Bruce M Biccard shows that male sex and increasing BMI are not linked with ICU mortality in COVID-19 patients.

UCT, along with four other South African universities, led 15 institutions that contributed most to the science of COVID-19 in Africa during the first year of the pandemic.

Professor Pierre de Vos considers the calls for the postponement of the upcoming local elections and the implications should the postponement occur.

UCT Emeritus Professor Jonny Myers and the University of the Witwatersrand’s Professor Shabir A Madhi delve into the COVID-19 crisis in Gauteng.

Professors Nicoli Nattrass and Jeremy Seekings believe South Africa’s vaccine rollout can succeed – but it will require leadership and tough negotiations with drug companies.

UCT’s Professor Linda-Gail Bekker and Associate Professor Lara Fairall reflect on valuable lessons learnt from the Sisonke programme.

Professor Graeme Meintjes provides an update on the clinical trial of the hAd5 T-cell COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

The number of vaccinations is far below the number of vaccine doses in the country. The available vaccines need to be used urgently.

Far bolder initiatives and international leadership are required to solve the global problem with vaccine production and distribution, writes Professor Nicoli Natrass.

UCT’s Professor Bruce Biccard shares the findings of a study over 3 000 critical care patients from 64 hospitals in Africa.

During a recent UCT Summer School webinar, the Centre for Film and Media Studies shared findings on the role of media in the COVID-19 pandemic.

UCT’s director of Environmental Sustainability, Manfred Braune, offers tips on discarding disposable face masks responsibly.

It’s been a non-stop rollercoaster ride for Dr Sheetal Silal since she joined the SA COVID-19 Modelling Consortium in its fight against the novel coronavirus.

The university’s leadership gathered in front of the Sarah Baartman Hall on 25 March to pay tribute to those members of the UCT community lost to the pandemic.

A year after lockdown began, UCT academic Gao Nodoba reflected on surviving COVID-19 and double pneumonia. “I’m a living miracle,” he said.

UCT’s Professor Heather Zar looks at the different COVID-19 vaccines currently available and answers some of the public’s most pressing questions.

Five scientists from UCT explain the process vaccines and drugs have to go through before they can be approved for human use.

UCT’s Prof Thomas Scriba explains the safety profiles of the three available COVID-19 vaccines, and the benefits of receiving it.

UCT’s Prof Linda-Gail Bekker and Prof Valerie Mizrahi caution that if only a few people get vaccinated against COVID-19, we will not be able to control the virus.

Dr Benjamin Kagina, a senior research officer in UCT’s Vaccines for Africa Initiative, answers key questions about COVID-19 vaccines for African countries.

Professor Marc Mendelson, the head of UCT’s Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine at Groote Schuur Hospital, recently delivered a Summer School lecture on COVID-19.

UCT’s Prof Linda-Gail Bekker stands as a reminder that transparency, accountability and protecting the most vulnerable apply in a time of COVID-19 too.