Tag Archives: pandemic

The learners and teachers of transitional phase grades (R, 3 7 and 12) faced unprecedented challenges this past year as schools had closed down across the country in the wake of the deadly Covid-19 virus. These grades are unique in that they are meant to prepare students for a more advanced …

There has been a lot of debate around small children and the role they play in the spread of Covid-19. With earlier studies suggesting that children do not contribute much to the spread of coronavirus, new studies are now showing that children could be capable of spreading infection. According to …

Amid the explosion in online or distance learning offerings at both basic, higher and further education levels following the 2020 Covid lockdowns, education experts have urged parents and prospective students to carefully consider an institution and its programmes before signing up for this mode of learning. “It is absolutely crucial …

Evidence suggests that there has been an increase in maternal and perinatal mortality rates due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the nationwide lockdown. During this time, healthcare services in metropolitan areas have been inundated by the number of COVID-19 infections taking away the emergency care for mothers in labour. The …

With South Africa’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign being placed on hold for now, the country must do everything within its power to find a solution, fast. Vaccinating as many people as quickly as possible will not just prevent more South Africans from getting sick, dying, and infecting others; it is also …

Parents across South Africa are worried about their children and their possible exposure to the coronavirus, amidst a second wave of the virus moving through the country and the start of the new school year being delayed later this month (February). “Teaching children the importance of good personal hygiene is …

Many parents may be feeling mixed emotions given the recent news that start of the school term has been delayed until 15 February due to the increased rate of COVID-19 infections and the onset of the second wave. Parents juggling full-time work may be experiencing a sense of frustration or …

A mother whose baby was delivered by emergency C-section at only 25 weeks while she was unconscious and on ventilator support for COVID-19, was overjoyed to meet her baby boy for the first time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Netcare N1 City Hospital in Goodwood, Cape Town.  …

Underpinning South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosas’s words during his ‘family’ meeting on 28th December, the organisers of South African Music Week (SAMW), have today launched a music video – entitled ‘Corona’ – which is a collaboration by a number of international music artists who have used their craft to create an …

It’s so important to always keep your kids busy and active during holidays, however it starts getting really tricky when there is a lockdown due to a worldwide pandemic when activities outside the home are limited by rules or perhaps you want to rather stay home and play it safe …

We’ve had a year like no other, and while the shadow of the pandemic still looms over the world, South Africans can breathe a sigh of some relief, that it is, at least, the summer holiday season.  A good dose of festive cheer has rarely felt so crucial.  The pandemic …

The hard lockdown has been a missed opportunity for South Africa to turn the fight against gender-based violence (GBV) into one that successfully protects survivors, adequately deals with perpetrators, and prevents abuse from happening in the first place, women’s rights activists say. Violence against women and girls: it is a …

New global research commissioned by Kaspersky of 8,000 SMB workers across multiple industries has revealed that three quarters of employees (78%) in South Africa want to rethink pre-COVID-19 ways of working. Instead of returning to business as usual, workers are now shaping a future of business on their terms, whether that’s spending …

COVID-19, a respiratory disease, has been a particularly stressful time for parents to young children. This is because the symptoms of the virus, which includes a tight chest, coughing and shortness of breath, can easily be confused with other respiratory viruses. One such virus, and one that parents need to …

As the race to find a vaccine against the Coronavirus speeds up, the pandemic has shown the importance of vaccines in keeping us safe. Yet South Africa’s child vaccination rate has dropped. Does this put our children’s health at risk, especially as more children go back to the classroom? “The …

With less than a month to go before matrics sit down to write their final exams, edutech solution provider Fundi is giving everyone across South Africa the opportunity to support these learners. Today the company officially launched its “12 for 12” relay race in support of the #SavingTheClassOf2020 initiative. The …

Telehealth services are playing a critical role in South Africa in allowing easy and affordable access to quality healthcare, especially when it comes to children’s health. “Telehealth advice services, especially by first-time parents and caregivers of young children, amidst COVID-19, are becoming increasingly popular,” says Dr Iqbal Karbanee, CEO of Paed-IQ …

Taking measures to help prevent the spread of infections have always been integral in doctors’ and dentists’ rooms, and COVID-19 has stimulated the implementation of further precautions to keep Medicross patients, healthcare professionals and staff as safe as possible, so that they don’t have to be concerned when they need …

Expecting during a worldwide pandemic can be an overwhelming and stressful experience, especially if you do not know what to expect. During the COVID-19 pandemic all hospitals are trying to limit the number of individuals attending appointments since it helps to restrict spreading of the virus plus it takes some …