Recovering from COVID lockdowns: Routine public sector PHC services in South Africa, 2019 - 2021.

Background: In a previous article on the impact of COVID-19, the authors compared access to routine health services between 2019 and 2020. While differential by province, a number of services provided, as reflected in the District Health Information System (DHIS), were significantly affected by the pandemic. In this article we explore the extent to which the third and fourth waves affected routine services.

Impact of COVID-19 on routine primary healthcare services in South Africa.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and responses by governments, including lockdowns, have had various consequences for lives and livelihoods. South Africa (SA) was one of the countries that implemented severely restrictive lockdowns to reduce transmission and limit the number of patients requiring hospitalisation. These interventions have had mixed consequences for routine health services.

Clinical evaluation of the OneStep Gonorrhea RapiCard InstaTest for detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in symptomatic patients from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

We evaluated a point-of-care test for the detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in patients attending a public health clinic in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The test showed a low sensitivity against PCR and culture (<40%); however, a higher specificity was observed (>95%). This test is unsuitable as a screening tool for gonorrhea.