South Africa

Health & Safety

Why South Africa Is Putting The AstraZeneca Vaccine On Hold

1:38pm February 08, 2021

by Maria Godoy

A study raised concerns about its effectiveness against the coronavirus variant sweeping through the country — although the data is too preliminary for definitive conclusions.

Africa's Hit Science Show For Kids Is Coming To The U.S.

10:48am February 05, 2021

by Amy Fallon

African TV execs say it's unlike any show for kids that's been produced and broadcast on the continent — especially with its focus on women presenters and scientists.

A health care worker from the Medical University of South Carolina administers a coronavirus test this month in Charleston, S.C. U.S. health authorities said Thursday that the first U.S. cases of the variant that emerged from South Africa were detected in

South Carolina Reports 1st Known U.S. Cases Of Variant From South Africa

3:06pm January 28, 2021

by Bill Chappell

"At this time, we have no evidence that infections by this variant cause more severe disease," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

Moderna will test new COVID-19 vaccine booster doses, saying that while its vaccine should protect against variants found in the U.K. and South Africa, it isn't as effective against the South African strain. Here, a bus in London carries a sign telling pe

Moderna Finds COVID-19 Vaccine Still Protects Against Emerging Strains

5:16pm January 25, 2021

by Bill Chappell

In a new round of tests, the drug company wants to see if booster doses of its vaccine will ramp up defenses against emerging strains of the coronavirus.

Workers check oxygen tanks at a hospital in Manaus, Brazil. Severe oxygen shortages as a second coronavirus wave is surging have prompted local authorities to airlift patients to other parts of Brazil.

Reinfections More Likely With New Coronavirus Variants, Evidence Suggests

12:46pm January 21, 2021

by Michaeleen Doucleff

The variant in Brazil is causing a surge in Manaus, a city where the virus previously infected huge numbers in the spring of 2020. Researchers are trying to determine why.

Queue Listen Now

Screengrabs from trending TikTok videos in 2020.

Our Favorite Global TikToks Of 2020: From A Handwashing Dance To A Literal Ice Box

7:00am January 01, 2021

by Isabella Gomez Sarmiento

As the clock ticks farewell to a terrible, horrible, very bad year, TikTok brought moments of joy. Here's what ticked the boxes for TikTok devotees.

A woman receives medication at a clinic offering antiretroviral drugs for HIV patients in Ga-Rankuwa, South Africa.

Long-Lasting Anti-AIDS Meds Eliminate 'Psychic Toll' Of Daily Pill

3:15pm November 19, 2020

by Jason Beaubien

The drugs only need to be taken a few times a year — and may soon be available in many parts of the world. Patients say they are more convenient and less stigmatizing.

Alfred Sonandi plays around with a makeshift barbell — concrete poured into two tins on either end of a stick. People in the settlement of Covid don't usually wear masks: Living in such close quarters, they may (incorrectly) feel there's no point. They

Health & Safety

PHOTOS: Why South Africans Built An Illegal Settlement Called Covid

10:25am November 15, 2020

by Samantha Reinders

The pandemic pushed many South Africans out of work. Some grabbed land and put up shacks. There's a community called "Covid" — and even "Sanitizer." The Anti-Land Invasion Unit aims to tear them down.

Andiswa Gebashe, left, and Nicoline Du Toit are the sign language interpreters for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's pandemic briefings — and have become unlikely celebrities.

Health & Safety

How Two Sign Language Interpreters Became Unlikely Pandemic Stars

9:09am August 30, 2020

by Ryan Lenora Brown

They interpret for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in his coronavirus briefings. Their expressive signing has made them celebrities — and brought attention to South African Sign Language.

Phelelani Ndakrokra completes an aerial act at a Zip Zap circus show in Cape Town, South Africa.

PHOTOS: South Africa's Zip Zap Circus Brings A Big Heart To The Big Top

8:43am August 08, 2020

The circus was founded to lift kids out of poverty and change racial attitudes. It's become a world-famous institution — performing for Barack Obama, for example — while holding true to its dream.