3 May 2020 –

As of Saturday night, the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in South Africa was 6 336.

Tests conducted to date stood at 230 686, of which 13 164 were done in the last 24 hours. This is the highest number of tests done in a 24 hour cycle to date.

7 more Covid-19 deaths have been recorded, bring the total to 123.

The seven people who died are from the Western Cape and the Free State. 

“We have looked at the data for patients who have been hospitalised and found that, consistent with evidence emerging worldwide, hypertension, diabetes and cardiac disease are the three most common co-morbidities associated with serious illness from Covid-19,” Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize said in a statement. 

He added that other co-morbidities that were seen amongst Covid-19 admitted patients were chronic pulmonary disease, asthma, chronic renal disease, malignancy, HIV, active and past tuberculosis.

“I would therefore like to urge our millions of South Africans who are over 63 years of age and those who live with these conditions to take extra precaution as we ease the lockdown.”

DETAILED BREAKDOWN OF COVID-19 FATALITIES:

Eastern Cape: 13

Free State: 6

Gauteng: 12

KwaZulu-Natal: 34

Limpopo: 2

Western Cape: 56

The department has also begun to study the deaths to begin to elucidate patterns and areas of high risk and have observed: Males account for 71 (58%) an females 52 (42%).  

The median age of patients who died was 64.  

COVID-19 DEATHS BY AGE:

20-29: 1 (0.8%)

30-39: 6 (4.9%)

40-49: 19 (15.5%)

50-59: 23 (18.7%)

60-69: 30 (24.4%)

70-79: 28 (22.7%)

80-89: 14 (11.4%) 

90-99: 2 ( 1.6%) 

(source: IOL)