Abbott wins US approval for test that can detect coronavirus in minutes

The number of COVID-19 infections in South Africa is currently at 150 and the Health Minister says it could reach the 200 mark on Friday. Mkhize says at least 60-70% of South Africans will be affected by the virus that has the world on tenterhooks and has claimed more than 10 000 lives.

An old malaria treatment that has been tried with some success against the new coronavirus and was touted by US President Donald Trump at a news briefing earlier on Thursday is in short supply as demand surges amid the fast-spreading outbreak.

Health Minister, Zweli Mkhize, says there is currently no vaccine for the coronavirus. This comes as the US gives the go-ahead to test a malaria drug called Chloroquine as a treatment for coronavirus.

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases says hand hygiene is the single most important preventive measure in the current outbreak of the COVID-19. 

The Nelson Mandela University has turned to its own experts and facilities to produce hand sanitiser, which is in short supply in Port Elizabeth.

South Africa is among a group of countries that have committed to being part of a series of smaller vaccine trials testing different methods and treatments to combat COVID-19.

Gauteng Premier David Makhura says public health facilities may not be able to deal with the increased number of people who want to be screened for the coronavirus. He says there is unnecessary panic and anxiety in communities, which forces them to rush to clinics and hospitals to test for the disease. Makhura was briefing […]

Twitter on Wednesday barred users from posting misleading information about the new coronavirus, including denials of expert guidance and encouragement of fake treatments, tightening its normally lax rules around speech.

A pill containing two HIV drugs that was touted as a potential treatment for the novel coronavirus was not effective, according to a study released late on Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The World Health Organisation called on Wednesday for "order and discipline" in the market for health equipment needed to fight the coronavirus pandemic and said it was in discussions with China and others to ramp up supplies.

City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mzwandile Masina says they've resolved to use their Emergency Fund to procure vaccines from Cuba and elsewhere in the world as part of the City's immediate contribution to curbing the coronavirus.

Following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement, that schools would closed from today and some borders would be shutdown, hundreds of people rushed to the stores near them to buy food and essentials in bulk.

South Africa now has 116 confirmed cases of coronavirus. There has been an increase of 31 new cases, with 6 more cases of local transmission.

Professor of Vaccinology at the Wits University Shabir Madhi says there is not enough evidence to suggest that pregnant women are more prone to contracting COVID-19.

The highly contagious novel coronavirus that has exploded into a global pandemic can remain viable and infectious in droplets in the air for hours and on surfaces up to days, according to a new study that should offer guidance to help people avoid contracting the respiratory illness called COVID-19.

KwaZulu-Natal Education MEC, Kwazi Mshengu, says all Grade R learners from Richards Bay Primary School in the province have been screened for COVID-19, following allegations that a fellow Grade R learner tested positive for the cornavirus.

The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Dr Blade Nzimande briefs the media after meeting with all relevant stakeholders within the higher education sector.

Australian researchers said on Tuesday they have mapped the immune responses from one of country’s first coronavirus patients, findings the health minister said were an important step in developing a vaccine and treatment.

YouTube could see a jump in videos erroneously taken down for content policy violations as the company relies more on automated software during the coronavirus pandemic, Alphabet Inc’s Google warned on Monday.

The South African Medical Association (SAMA) has advised its members to refuse to treat patients if they do not have sufficient protection against coronavirus.

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula says random screening of the coronavirus will take place across all taxi ranks and train stations.

The cabinet ministers involved in President Cyril Ramaphosa's coronavirus response plan will brief the media about specific interventions.

England will join a growing list of countries offering HIV-prevention pill to all those at high risk of catching the virus, the British government announced on Sunday.

Alphabet’s Google (GOOGL.O) said on Saturday that it was working with the US government to develop a nationwide website that would help Americans with questions about coronavirus symptoms, risk factors, and testing.

Canada’s most populous province of Ontario, which has reported more than 100 new coronavirus cases, on Saturday said it would limit testing for the respiratory illness until it can guarantee a more steady supply of swabs.

The SAA chartered plane carrying over a hundred repatriated South Africans from the Chinese city of Wuhan and members of the SANDF has landed at the Gateway Airport in Polokwane in Limpopo.

Microsoft Corp co-founder Bill Gates, who made the company one of the world's most valuable technology firms, stepped down from the board on Friday to focus on philanthropic works related to global health, education and climate change.

President Cyril Ramaphosa will this weekend chair an urgent meeting of Cabinet that will discuss ways to limit the spread of the coronavirus from travellers coming into the country.

A total of 122  South Africans will be repatriated from Wuhan, China to the Ranch Hotel and Resort in Polokwane where there will be under quarantine for 21 days.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize says if any of the South Africans who are going to be repatriated from the Chinese city of Wuhan is diagnosed or has symptoms of coronavirus, they will not be allowed on the plane.