HomeA Focus
A Focus
Smoking associated with increased risk of COVID-19 – Or maybe not?
The government and the tobacco lobby are squaring up for another round of appeals and counter-appeals in the South African courts, over the state’s right to...
Early convalescent plasma may lower risk and progression of COVID in seniors — Argentine trial
Plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients with high levels of antibodies appeared to delay or stop progression of illness in mildly ill older adults infected...
Growing anger over SA government's vaccine 'fiasco'
South African medical scientists, joined by activist groups, health workers and opposition parties, have slammed the government and its Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) over...
Exotics hog the headlines but it's an old workhorse that has done the COVID-19 job
One year on, US hospital doctors say the best and most reliable drug for COVID-19 is cheap, familiar, and has all the glamour of...
Medical xenophobia and discrimination widespread in Gauteng health care
Medical xenophobia is widespread among South African health workers — especially nurses — in Gauteng health facilities, reports MedicalBrief. A University of the Witwatersrand...
Medical scientists call for Chief Justice’s impeachment over vaccination comments
Are South Africa's Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng comments on a COVID-19 vaccine that is ‘of the Devil’ deserving of calls by medical scientists and...
Outrage over COVID-19 vaccine inequities: Rich world hogs supplies and patents
Despite the COVID-19 global mantra of ‘No one is safe until we are all safe’, the world's wealthy nations have not only hogged vaccine...
SIU gets another bloodied nose in attempt to reopen settled medical negligence claim
For the second time, the Eastern Cape High Court has rebuffed attempts to revisit a medical negligence claim that was previously settled but is...
World rugby faces landmark class action over neurological damage
World rugby authorities face a group class action for negligence following diagnoses of early onset dementia among retired players allegedly caused by repeated blows...
South Africa's lockdown was based on 'crude and exaggerated' evidence
South Africa’s strict lockdown over five weeks had devastating societal consequences but did not achieve its COVID-19 objectives, writes Seán Mfundza Muller of the University...
SCA opens the door to curbing malicious HPCSA complainants
A recent South African Supreme Court of Appeal judgment, in the case of a clinical psychologist against a mining company, may open the door...
HPCSA rapped over 7-year delay in accepting top Swiss surgeon's qualifications
A leading orthopaedic surgeon who emigrated to South Africa but for more than seven years couldn’t get the Health Professions Council to accept his...
Danish Mask Study: Why both proponents and opponents of masking hate it
The Danish Mask Study has caused a furore, writes MedicalBrief. It has been seized upon by those militantly opposed to wearing masks as proof...
UK to trial blood test that detects more than 50 types of cancer
A novel blood test that can detect more than 50 types of cancer, often before symptoms show, is to be trialled by the UK's...
A week of grim global COVID-19 milestones — except in Africa
The past week saw the United States hit more than 12m COVID-19 infections, with a quarter of a million dead, while Europe was caught...
Arthritis drug effective in most severely ill COVID-19 patients
The rheumatoid arthritis drug tocilizumab significantly improves outcomes in ICU patients with COVID-19, show early results from the Remap-Cap international platform trial. Previous studies...
Pandemic unleashes a wave of verbal and physical abuse at healthcare professionals
Almost a third (31%) of healthcare professionals in South Africa have suffered verbal or physical abuse from patients, patients’ relatives or the public during COVID-19, according...
High stress prompts nearly half of younger SA doctors to consider quitting — Philips survey
Work-related stress levels are so high that 43% of younger South African healthcare workers have considered leaving the profession. The Future Health Index 2020 produced by Philips South Africa also reveals, however, that younger doctors have...
Long COVID may cause multiple-organ damage even in low risk patients — Coverscan Study
A study in the United Kingdom has discovered signs of organ damage in young and formerly healthy people who have ongoing symptoms of COVID-19,...
COVID-19 vaccine results hold promise – At last, a scientific weapon
Nearly a year has passed since SARS-CoV-2 began its deadly sweep across the world. This week, as global infections soared to more than 50...
SCA rules psychologist can sue over 'malicious’ complaint to HPCSA
After 12 years of legal attrition, the Supreme Court of Appeal has ruled that KwaZulu-Natal psychologist Linda Holden can sue mining giant Assmang over...
RAF non-payments bringing practices to their knees
Medical practitioners, psychologists, occupational therapists and other medical experts who, along with lawyers, provide professional services to Road Accident Fund (RAF) victims say thousands...
Healthcare in the age of opportunity: Perspectives from the next generation of professionals
Local insights from the Future Health Index 2020, based on the concerns and ambitions of younger healthcare professionals across 15 countries, including South Africa,...
Determining 'COVID age' online to assess vulnerability
It's known that there are a variety and interplay of risk factors that determine vulnerability to and morality risk of the coronavirus, writes MedicalBrief....
Landmark study of African genomes details human migration and health
A landmark study by University of Witwatersrand geneticists and partners that provides insights into ancient migrations of Bantu language-speaking populations, as well as environmental...
Fauci wants a global rollout of America's 'right on schedule’ vaccines
Top global infectious diseases scientist and US presidential adviser Dr Anthony Fauci told doctors in South Africa during a PPS-sponsored webinar that it should...
CDC redefines COVID exposure time and isolation guidance is supported
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has expanded how it defines a “close contact” with COVID-19 following new evidence, writes MedicalBrief....
COVID-19: Airlines and medical experts differ over risk of flying
Airlines suffered a COVID-19 setback this week when an expert rejected safety conclusions they drew from his research, writes MedicalBrief. But while numerous studies...
Last chance to join Dr Anthony Fauci’s webinar: The Pandemic – North, South and forward
Dr Anthony Fauci is one of the world’s leading infectious diseases experts, the face of science in America during COVID-19, and advisor to President...
Gilead challenges WHO's 'conclusive evidence' on repurposed drugs
This week, following a 30-country randomised control trial, the World Health Organisation claimed "conclusive evidence" on the effectiveness of repurposed drugs for the treatment...
HPCSA's 3-year disciplinary action against anti-abortion doctor collapses
After preventing anti-abortion intern Dr Jacques de Vos for more than three years from completing his medical training, the Health Professions Council of SA...
Join Dr Anthony Fauci for a webinar: The Pandemic – North, South and forward
Dr Anthony Fauci is one of the world’s leading infectious diseases experts, the face of science in America during COVID-19, and advisor to President...
Finding the 'right' GP: A qualitative study of people with long-COVID
An analysis of interviews with people suffering from long-COVID, published in the British Journal of General Practice, outlines the wide range and persistent nature...
Human Rights Commission: Hospital strike was a human rights violation
Actions of staff at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital during a strike violated human rights by denying a “considerable number” of patients the right...
CDC update on airborne transmission of COVID-19
US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced that COVID-19 can spread through virus lingering in the air, sometimes for hours, acknowledging...
Mkhize culls his critics in order to 'strengthen' the MACs
All the most outspoken medical scientists serving on the South African government's Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC) on COVID-19 who found themselves at public odds with government actions...
A million deaths later and counting…
On 16 January this year, well before hysteria ignited in the general media, <emMedicalBrief reported that a coronavirus that had manifested in the city...
Murder of charged anaesthetist brings pressure for legislative change
The killing of a Johannesburg anaesthetist who along with a colleague had been arrested and charged for culpable homicide following the death of a...
Coffee associated with improved survival in metastatic colorectal cancer
Coffee consumption may be associated with reduced risk of disease progression and death in patients with advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer, found a Dana-Farber Cancer Institute study...
'Strong evidence' that BCG does not protect against COVID-19
An analysis of Swedish public health data provides "strong evidence" that receiving the BCG vaccine against tuberculosis at birth does not have a protective...