Saluting all Witsies combating the COVID-19 pandemic
- Wits University
These Wits heroes represent just a fraction of the clinical, academic, professional and administrative staff, alumni and students responding to this disaster.
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted life as we know it. But it has also galvanised our rapid adaptation to change and the adoption of new technologies.
This newsletter acknowledges all those Witsies on the frontline in testing stations, hospitals, laboratories, computer centres, innovation labs and those who from their homes confront this pandemic and its effects on South Africa and the world.
The Wits heroes mentioned here represent just a fraction of the clinical, academic, professional and administrative staff, alumni and students who are contributing in multiple ways to respond to this disaster.
We salute them all.
Practical protection for people
With personal protective equipment (PPE) in short supply globally, Wits engineers and students last week custom designed, manufactured and delivered their first batch of to protect healthcare workers. As COVID-19 infections and hospitalisations increase, respiration and ventilation become literally a matter of life or death.
These same Witsies have now turned their engineering prowess to devising assistive breathing devices for patients. We to this life-saving innovation.
Students and staff in the School of Molecular and Cell Biology further advanced the PPE cause by for healthcare workers. This School also formulated a virus-killing disinfectant for Witsies on campus to prevent COVID-19 contamination.
Combatting contamination through biomedical engineering, PhD candidate Michael Lucas pioneered a revolutionary . This infection control solution helps mitigate hospital-acquired infections and Lucas鈥 biomedical alchemy can prevent COVID-19 contamination.
Diary of a disease
Understanding the coronavirus pathogen is critical to protection and prevention. In concert with the (NICD) and the (NDOH), Wits epidemiologists, virologists, biologists, and others at the vanguard of science are working to decode, predict, tame, and suppress COVID-19, and manage the public health and socio-economic impact.
Wits Professor of Epidemiology Cheryl Cohen analyses the distribution, patterns and determinants of disease. Now a household name, Cohen is at the forefront of COVID-19 case-finding, diagnosis and public health response, management and coordination. She recently delivered an on-air COVID-19 masterclass.
Cohen works closely with , a clinical microbiologist explaining here how the coronavirus is transmitted:
Amongst the virus sleuths is microbiologist Lynn Morris, a Research Professor in the School of Pathology and the Interim Executive Director of the NICD. Morris explains why COVID-19 is one of the greatest challenges of our time.
Fellow microbiologist, , Head of the Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, gives insight into superbugs in this Masterclass.
Drawing Big Data battle lines鈥
Predicting and anticipating the trajectory of the virus to mitigate casualties and inform policy requires number crunching, modelling, and analysis of Big Data. Physics leads a multidisciplinary team that developed the comprehensive 鈥 a data dashboard to help track and visualise local COVID-19 infections, as well as in Africa, and the monitoring tool can be used to provide predictions for the virus鈥 spread and impact.
Similarly, the (GCRO), of which Wits is partner, developed an to COVID-19. In the Wits Biomedical Engineering Research Unit, and Adam Pantanowitzare developing a model to demonstrate the effect of intermittent鈥痲uarantines, which may help maintain essential services and sustain economic activity.
Advocating mass testing
鈥溾 is the message from Professor of Vaccinology , who advocates physical distancing, mass testing for COVID-19, and quarantining the infected as the optimal public health strategy.
In this interview Madhi explains how the virus infects bodies and describes . In partnership with Gift of the Givers, Wits now hosts a .
Helping the healthcare workers on the frontlines
Expert analysis informs us of the impact COVID-19 will have on our world but how will our healthcare workers in hospitals cope?
Professor Feroza Motara is the Academic Head of Emergency Medicine in the School of Clinical Medicine at Wits and the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital. She has prepared her team and the hospital to care for those infected with COVID-19. Feroza explains how鈥痟ealthcare workers鈥痮n the frontline cope.
Towards treatment
笔谤辞蹿别蝉蝉辞谤鈥, the Executive Director of the (Wits RHI) and Professor Jeremy Nel lead the South 第一吃瓜网 research team in the . Rapidly constituted by the (WHO), these 10-nation clinical trials aim to identify the most effective treatment against COVID-19. (Note: not a vaccine 鈥 this could take 12-18 months&苍产蝉辫;鈥 but see why as a promising approach to biomedical research and development).
Rees discusses in the global Solidarity study.
On our best behaviour
Physical distancing, hand-washing, and cough etiquette govern our mobility and behaviour like never before. Listen to renowned HIV scientist and activist , Director of Ezintsha and Deputy Executive Director of the (Wits RHI), discussing the fundamental role that behaviour change plays in reducing COVID-19 infection.
Distinguished Professor of Medical Anthropology and Public Health Lenore Manderson delivered a COVID-19 webinar applicable to public behaviour.
Behaviour extends to social relations and solidarity. from the (ACMS) cautions against and in the COVID-19 response. She explores what South Africa鈥檚 mean for the spread of the pandemic, while and Siyabonga Mahlangu during the lockdown.
Influencing policy
President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Professor Martin Veller, the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences to a Ministerial Committee to provide clinical management advice on COVID-19. He, together with five leading Wits professors to replace the current lockdown.
Several other Witsies including Professor Glenda Gray have also been appointed to government committees or sub-committees.
Professors and from the SAMRC/Wits Centre for Health Economics & Decision Science, , in the School of Public Health have advocated for proper hand-washing hygiene, which has since become standard COVID-19 protocol. However, environmental lawyer cautions that when you have extremely limited access to clean water.
Economy on the edge
Economist Professor , Dean of the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management says:
The COVID-19 crisis is first and foremost a health and humanitarian crisis that we are all living through, which is likely to have lasting impacts on how we live.
He explains how we can manage the economic impacts in a way that does the least long-term harm and writes with David Francis, that South Africa won鈥檛 flatten the curve unless all citizens have the means to stay home.
Seventy-eight economists and activists, including several from Wits, wrote an encouraging government to do more to , a view by in the Sunday Times. He recently compared the COVID-19 emergency stimuluses of selected countries and from these countries.
Wits economist asks whilst Adjunct analyses the . wrote on the , while Wits Journalism lecturer as did , Deputy Director of the (WiSER).
Wits voices on COVID-19
Wits researchers and academics across faculties have articulated the impact of COVID-19 in their disciplines and displayed social leadership to educate, advocate, influence, and inspire:
Brave new world? 鈥 , renowned philosopher at WiSER, has as has Professor John Stremlau from the Wits Department of International Relations, has shared their views on the global impact of the virus.
So has Associate Professor Ivor Sarakinsky, political philosopher in the Wits School of Governance, in this interview:
Dr Bob Wekesa from the 第一吃瓜网 Centre for the Study of the United States (ACSUS) wrote about after COVID-19.
Winter weather or not 鈥 While COVID-19 aggravates an existing climate emergency, social and climate activist Professor Vishwas Satgar suggests that whilst from the Wits RHI says that South Africa鈥檚 warmer weather could slow the spread of the virus.
Books not braais&苍产蝉辫;鈥 has explained the impact of COVID-19 on the arts, while biomedical ethicist tackles issues related to personal versus public freedoms during lockdown.
Family matters&苍产蝉辫;鈥 explains how parents and caregivers can support children during the COVID-19 lockdown whilst the is breaking the silence on COVID-19 for the Deaf community.
Lockdown language&苍产蝉辫;鈥 Wits students also helped Jive Media to translate the Hay鈥檏hona Corona! Spreading the word, not the virus poster series into multiple languages and made freely available to all. Please share widely.
There are numerous other experts from Wits who comment regularly in the media.
Keep informed, safe and healthy
Visit wits.ac.za/covid19 regularly for the latest updates, news, analysis and expert opinions in our fight against the coronavirus.
Witsies are tackling the COVID-19 pandemic on all fronts and we laud each and every person who is playing a role in combating this pandemic. We are in a crucial moment in the life of this pandemic and it is important that we work as a collective for the benefit of our society.
We urge all members of the Wits community to heed the words of President Cyril Ramaphosa:
This epidemic will pass. But it is up to us to determine how long it will last, how damaging it will be, and how long it will take for our economy and our country to recover. It is true that we are facing a grave emergency. But if we act together, if we act now, and if we act decisively, we will overcome it.