Confirmed COVID-19 Cases Rise 159% In One Week

A doctor has warned that Zambia is about to go into its third wave of COVID-19 as cases start to rise once again.

Dr Francis Mupeta, Head of the Infectious Diseases Unit at University Hospital (UTH), said the new trend of COVID-19 cases implies the start of a third wave in the country.

According to Dr Mupeta, cases have increased by 159% in the last week. Deaths and hospitalisations have also increased by 15% and 64% respectively.

Speaking on the issue, Dr Mupeta said “If we look at Levy, the biggest treatment centre, the total number of hospitalised patients increased by 105% last week…patients on oxygen increased by 81% and the number of deaths by 50%”.

Dr Mupeta’s concerns are a result of the government’s slow actions to protect their population against COVID-19. As Zambia was one of the last countries in Africa to obtain any kind of vaccine, uptake has been slow and is seen to have a devastating impact.

Adding to this, the government’s poor treatment of the country’s doctors, with both lack of pay and lack of jobs, is also a cause for concern as COVID-19 cases rise.

Photo: Wall St Journal