#YouAsked Covid-19 Health Does wearing a mask actually help reduce the risk of Covid-19? Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Guidance for Wearing Masks Short answer Does wearing a mask actually help reduce the risk of Covid-19? Covid-19 spreads mainly from person to person through respiratory droplets. Respiratory droplets travel into the air when you cough, sneeze, talk, shout or sing. These droplets can then land in the mouths or noses of people who are near you or they may breathe these droplets in. Masks are a simple b... Back Full answer
#YouAsked Health Is there a cure for HIV? Source Centres for Disease Control and Prevention: Treatment – Living with HIV Short answer Is there a cure for HIV? There is no effective cure for HIV, but with proper medical care, the disease can be controlled. HIV treatment involves taking medicine, called antiretroviral therapy (ART), that reduces the amount of HIV in your body. It’s important to remember that taking HIV medicine does not prevent the transm... Back Full answer
Health What share of African children under five years are underweight? Source World Bank Prevalence of underweight, weight for age (% of children under 5) - Sub-Saharan Africa Short answer What share of African children under five years are underweight? An estimated 16.9% of children under 5 years old were underweight in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2020. ... Back Full answer
Health What share of African children under five years are stunted? Source WHO Global Health Observatory Stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) (JME) Short answer What share of African children under five years are stunted? 30.7% (61.4 million) of children under five years old were stunted in WHO’s Africa region in 2020. ... Back Full answer
#YouAsked Covid-19 Health What is the Covid-19 variant found in India? Source Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism – Three for three: Understanding the 3 COVID variants circulating during SA’s third wave Short answer What is the Covid-19 variant found in India? The Delta or B.1.617.2 variant of SARS CoV-2 (previously known as the “Indian variant”)was first detected in India in December 2020 and became the most commonly reported variant in the country from mid-April 2021. The mutations in the Delta variant’s spike protein help the virus to bette... Back Full answer
#YouAsked Covid-19 Health Which Covid-19 vaccine is more effective against the variant found in India? Source Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism – Three for three: Understanding the 3 COVID variants circulating during SA’s third wave Short answer Which Covid-19 vaccine is more effective against the variant found in India? Although it is still too early to know, there is some evidence suggesting that the Delta variant reduces vaccine efficacy. Data from cases in England showed that the effectiveness of both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines had been lowered after one dose from 51.1% to 33.5%. But after a second shot... Back Full answer
Covid-19 Health Does the Covid-19 vaccine reduce your lifespan? Source The Africa Infodemic Response Alliance (AIRA) in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO) Short answer Does the Covid-19 vaccine reduce your lifespan? All available Covid-19 vaccines have been assessed for safety and have also been found not to interfere with the human Deoxyribonucleic (DNA) so it does not reduce a person’s life span. ... Back Full answer
Covid-19 Health Is it true that doctors test for Covid-19 by looking for the Covid-19 virus in your body? Source US Centers for Disease Control COVID-19 Testing Overview Short answer Is it true that doctors test for Covid-19 by looking for the Covid-19 virus in your body? Yes. A Covid-19 viral test looks for the virus in your breathing passages. There are different types of viral tests. One type looks for genetic material from the virus. This is usually called polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Another type looks for proteins on the virus. This is usually called an ant... Back Full answer
Covid-19 Health Does the Covid-19 vaccine shorten your lifespan? Source Encyclopaedia Britannica – The Top COVID-19 Vaccine Myths Spreading Online Short answer Does the Covid-19 vaccine shorten your lifespan? The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states on its website that all deaths that are known to have occurred following a COVID-19 vaccination are investigated. No deaths have been found to have been caused by COVID-19 vaccines. “A review of available clinical information, including d... Back Full answer