Covid-hub drives education and vaccination
AT the outset of the pandemic, Bonitas created an informative and educational Covid-19 hub as a reliable source of information for its members.
“Recently, the Fund enhanced this centralised and digital Covid-19 hub and made it accessible to all South Africans. The information includes details of our private Covid-19 vaccination sites – which are open to everyone – how the vaccine works, identifying symptoms and guidelines on how and where to be tested,” says Lee Callakoppen, Principal Officer of Bonitas Medical Fund.
Third wave and Delta
The third wave, which is predominantly the
Delta variant, has had a major impact on
South Africa’s healthcare system, with reports of hospital admissions being significantly higher than during waves one and two. “Analysis by our actuarial teams shows that in 2020, we had a total of 8 111 members hospitalised due to Covid-19, as opposed to 10 515 over the past seven-and-a-half months.”
With experts predicting a fourth wave for South Africa in December 2021, education and information about curbing the pandemic is even more important.
Covid-hub provides education for everyone
“As new scientific data becomes available, we update the hub, highlighting key topics such as dispelling myths around the vaccine, safety protocols and the different types of Covid-19 tests. “There is a comprehensive guide to recovering from Covid-19, as well as post-Covid care tips.
“Given the increased vaccination drive, we have enhanced the site to assist our members with registration and help speed up the process at Bonitas vaccination sites.”
Private vaccination sites
Bonitas members have access to dedicated partner vaccination sites that adhere to all the required safety regulations, and are staffed by qualified nurses.
“We have facilitated the opening of vaccination facilities at major scheme employer sites such as Eskom, and are continually engaging with corporates as well as our brokers and financial advisors to improve the support we provide.
“We have conducted a total of 373 675 PCR tests: 188 074 of these were between January and mid-August, with 40 316 members testing positive. This is a 101% increase in tests performed over the past seven-and-a-half months. However, studies indicate that once people are vaccinated, they are less likely to fall seriously ill and that the vaccine provides protection against hospitalisation for the Delta variant, which is why addressing vaccine hesitancy and increasing the vaccine roll out is critical,” added Callakoppen.
This aligns with the statement from Dr Marian van Kerkhove of the World Health Organisation (WHO). Kerkhove said the global pandemic situation is dangerous, with high levels of transmission driven by four major factors. The first is the prevalent variant, including the Delta variant. Second is the increase in social mixing and social mobility, which increases the number of contacts that individuals have. The third is the relaxation or the inappropriate use of public health and social measures. Proven public health and social measures, which we know prevent infections, reduce the spread of the virus to others and save lives. And fourth is the uneven and inequitable distribution of vaccines.
Protection from severe illness
The more people are vaccinated and the more people who have Covid-19 and recover, the more the wider population is protected. That is not necessarily protection from infection, but protection from severe illness. Vaccinating as many people as possible, as soon as possible, remains a priority if the impact of Covid-19 is to be minimised and curbed.
“More than 10 million doses had been administered by August 20, with 4 832 763 people or 7.95% of the South African population now fully vaccinated. Plans are in place to increase awareness and education around vaccines, to continue to encourage as many people as possible over the age of 18 to register; increase daily vaccination dosages; and open selected sites over weekends.
QR code replaces forms
“We provide our members access to a QR code upon registration on the EVDS and our portal. This means the code is scanned upon arrival, eliminating any delay by having to fill in forms, for a smooth and efficient process.
“Everyone must remember to take along their unique token, ID document or passport to the vaccination site. If you’re on a medical aid, have your medical aid card with you.
“We need to remain on high alert with the pandemic. We cannot afford to be complacent and must all play our part to stay safe, which means following the protocols and getting vaccinated.
“We will continue to use our hub as a central resource of information – a ‘go-to’ for help and advice, as we learn to navigate through this pandemic.”