Click on the video above for a rational perspective on the state of the coronavirus pandemic both in SAÂ and globally. Discovery’s chief actuary, London-based Emile Stipp, delved into comprehensive data which shows –
* The chance of an unvaccinated person dying of Covid is 10 times higher than from seasonal flu.
___STEADY_PAYWALL___
* Odds of a vaccinated person dying of Covid is 40% of that from seasonal flu.
* Between 70% and 80% of South Africans have already been infected with Covid, but around a quarter of them are likely to be re-infected (a bit like flu can strike twice in a season).
* For SA, the race is to get jabs into the remaining 20-30% who are unvaccinated and as yet uninfected to prevent a Fourth Wave with associated deaths and stress on hospitals.
I left the interview better informed and am sure you will too. It also helped explain why the US stock market reacted so positively to last night’s official announcement (see below) that the Pfizer vaccine has been upgraded to “full approval”. This is likely to provide comfort for the vaccine hesitant who were unnerved by the vaccine’s prior “emergency” approval classification.
Also based on the facts provided by data, peerless former Oxford Don RW Johnson has produced another must-read piece. It’s on Politicsweb this morning – click here. Johnson provides a staggering critique of the impact of the ANC’s economic policies on SA society. The numbers show that since 1994, this has expanded the country’s income inequality gap to dangerous levels.
Africa features prominently in this morning’s edition of The Times of London. You’ll have to sign up for the free trial to access two excellent articles, but it’s well worth the effort.
Former UK foreign secretary and leader of the opposition William Hague provides brilliant insights into how Africa is the world’s new idealogical battleground. He opines that if the West doesn’t rise to the challenge, Africa will make the Afghan crisis seem a sideshow.
The urgency of Hague’s message is emphasised in another piece in The Times which reports that in Africa over the past week, Afghan-emboldened Jihadists killed over 200 people in four raids. Considering one of the flashpoints is Mozambique, this a story in which SA has more than a passing interest.
A final reminder of today’s webinar at noon where I’ll provide the monthly update on the BizNews share portfolio which has enjoyed another superb month. The webinar is open to all Premium members but you do need to register –Â click here.
NB FOR YOUR WALL STREET JOURNAL ACCESS…
As a Premium subscriber you are entitled to full membership of wsj.com (normal price $29 a month). Be sure to action your access through the Premium link on the BizNews website. Because of The Wall Street Journal’s credential requirements, be sure to create a password which has at least 8 characters and includes at least one letter and one number – NB it MAY NOT contain any special characters (ie #, !, @ etc). To maintain access to WSJ.com, you MUST enter our partner’s website via BizNews Premium at least once a month. A final PS, if you had previously signed up for WSJ you’ll need to clear the cookies from your device. Our help desk can assist – [email protected].
