Facts in Q&A format

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…

As the evidence currently suggests, there is limited risk that SARS-CoV-2 can be transmitted via human milk. Consequently, the World Health Organization and other organisations (including UNICEF, CDC, and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists) recommend that mothers continue to…

5G, or fifth generation, is the latest wireless mobile phone technology, first widely deployed in 2019. 5G is expected to increase performance and a wide range of new applications, including strengthening e-Health (telemedicine, remote surveillance, telesurgery).

Claims that 5G somehow causes or…

From 3 January 2020 to 10 March 2021, there have been 109,164 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 1,879 deaths, reported to the World Health Organization. This amounts to 203 cases and 3.5 deaths per 100,000 people. 

In a statement issued on 4 January 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) alerted patients and health care providers of the risk of false results, particularly false-negative results – a test that says you don’t have the virus when you actually do have the virus – with the…

There is no data available on the current number of Covid-19 cases in Pretoria, but according to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, as of 2 March 2021 there were 405,035 confirmed cases in Gauteng.

While there are now vaccines for Covid-19, there is still no cure for the virus.

 

Related: LIVE GUIDE: All our Coronavirus fact-checks in one place

The World Health Organization (WHO) and other health authorities have cautioned against the use of hydrogen peroxide to prevent or treat COVID-19 as there is no scientific evidence to support the claim.

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) has said more research is needed before it could approve ivermectin for use in humans. “To date there is insufficient evidence for or against the use of ivermectin in the prevention or treatment of COVID-19,” SAHPRA said in a 28…