OW Dr Tom Boyles (1990) on Covid-19 in South Africa

Dr Tom Boyles (OW 1990) is an infectious diseases consultant in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is working directly with COVID-19 patients at Helen Joseph Hospital as well as focussing on preparing primary care facilities to operate safely during the pandemic.

“At the beginning of the pandemic, the response by South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaposa was to enact one of the strictest lockdowns in the world. Nobody was to leave their house, not even for exercise, unless they were an essential worker or buying food, and alcohol and cigarette sales were banned. The epidemic curve, which had been mirroring the UK abruptly flattened and South Africa bought itself some time. Fast forward 3 months and things look very different. The initial lockdown level 5 has dropped to level 3. Mass gatherings at stadiums, theatres and cinemas are still banned but restaurants will re-open soon and life under lockdown is normalising.

However, the epidemic curve has consequently steepened. In my province of Gauteng, case are currently doubling every 8 days. Hospitals and ICUs are full, clinics are closing because of lack of staff and people are dying. In the poorest provinces there are reliable stories of patients fighting over oxygen supplies and doctors cleaning the floors because other staff are either sick or refuse to work.

Due to the initially successful lockdown we waited a long time in the calm before the storm but the storm has well and truly arrived. The future is uncertain but the death rate is likely to accelerated and further health system shutdown is expected. South Africa began like a Premier League winner but now looks like be ejected into the Conference.”