* A realistic, optimistic plan of action is needed

“The coronavirus pandemic is a health war that has led to an economic war, so South Africa requires a multidimensional plan to survive.”

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc locally and internationally, NWU’s experts have been roped in to assist with the validation of a new test in the fight against it.

In March 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak of a new coronavirus disease (Covid-19) as a global pandemic. Subsequently many people are overwhelmed by feelings of worry and anxiousness, especially by the constantly changing alerts, media coverage and national lock down regarding the Corona virus.

The world, and now more recently our nation, is faced with difficult times as the recent Covid-19 pandemic turns life as we know it upside down. A team at the Faculty of Engineering from the North-West University (NWU), in collaboration with other experts involved in this unsettling battle, is rising to the challenge to support our government in its fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

A development economist from the North-West University (NWU) says for South Africa to survive the current coronavirus pandemic, the current lockdown must be a success and the virus must be brought under control by the end of April.

The North-West University (NWU) is extending its footprint widely across the African continent in realising its dream to be an internationally recognised university in Africa, distinguished for engaged scholarship, social responsiveness and an ethic of care.

When it comes to creating a hub of national and international knowledge, the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Optentia research focus area is leading the charge.

In the turbulent times in which we currently find ourselves, huge emphasis is being placed on the major role that healthcare workers play in our societies.

With the recent announcement of a 21-day lockdown as a measure to tackle the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19), individuals will most certainly experience a pshycological impact due to limited social interaction.

“President Cyril Ramaphosa’s lockdown of South Africa to combat the Covid-19 virus comes at the right time,” says an economist of the NWU Business School.