[THREAD] 1. There is no monkeypox in South Africa at the moment, according to @nicd_sa.

Since early May, 145 cases of the viral illness have been reported in nations mainly in the Northern Hemisphere including Spain, Canada and the UK. 2. The local public health entity says the outbreak in Europe and the US is “unlikely to progress to a global emergency.” That’s because the disease needs very close contact to spread from one person to another, unlike COVID-19 which spreads through the air.

[THREAD] Wondering what to make of the @US_FDA’s new rules about the J&J vaccine? Here’s what you need to know. America’s medicines regulator announced that the J&J jab should only be given to adults in 3 scenarios: bit.ly/3lfRb5p

We want to share the skills we’ve learnt about powerful, science-backed opinion pieces. That’s why we’ve put together our #NHI op-ed writing workshop. #BhekisisaNHIWorkshop Meet our participants: Find out what Palesa Ramolefo from @AmandlaMobi is looking forward to learning at our op-ed writing workshop next week. #BhekisisaNHIWorkshop

[THREAD] During the #BudgetVote2022 Minister of Health, Joe Phaahla, confirmed that SA is not where it should be with the vaccine rollout, but he said that the country is still making progress. 35.1-million doses were administered as of yesterday, 9 May. This accounts for 19,7-million adults, or 49.5% of the adult population. And, 70% of the population has had contact with the virus and therefore have attained some natural immunity, but cases may still increase as people huddle together indoors during winter.

1. [Thread] Should pregnant people get the #COVID19 #vaccine? And what about people who are planning on having a baby?

Short answer: Yes.

@KeMohale spoke to @priyasomapillay to find out how the jabs protect pregnant women and their babies. 2. @priyasomapillay says pregnant people are more likely to get very sick from #COVID19. That means a higher chance of ending up in hospital or needing a ventilator.

That’s why it’s important for them to get a COVID jab.

Our #BhekisisaWebinar is now live — ‘procurement, policy and partnerships: pandemic lessons for the #NHI’. Follow the link to join our panel or follow along on Twitter bit.ly/3rAcn8u A reminder of our speakers this afternoon. #BhekisisaWebinar #NHI

There will be a scientific panel discussion on the latest developments with the new #COVID19SA variant #501yv2 currently dominating in the country. Follow along as we live-tweet the briefing starting shortly. bit.ly/38SXhTG It's been a month since we first described the new variant and we've learnt a lot since then. So this is an update on that from the scientists that have been working on this issue. - @ProfAbdoolKarim #Covid19InSA #501yv2 bit.ly/38SXhTG

[LIVE] Are people with #HIV and #TB more likely to die of #COVID19SA? Our #BhekisisaWebinar in partnership with @Auruminstitute is on NOW. We'll be live-tweeting the event, follow on for live updates. bit.ly/2UsZbmn First up, Mary-Ann Davies, public health medicine expert at @WesternCapeGov health department will release SA's first preliminary data on the #COVID19SA death risk for #HIV and #TB patients from the Western Cape. #BhekisisaWebinar

Our @LLopezGonzalez will be live-tweeting tonight's meeting with @DrZweliMkhize & #Covid19SA modellers. What does the future hold for #CoronavirusInSA? Stay tuned. Mkhize: There are a lot of modellers out there. Some do it academically, some we engage. Mkhize: The NDOH has been working with modellers to refine their models. Initial models were largely based on how outbreaks behaved in other countries. #Covid19SA #CoronavirusInSA