News
The CSIR printed and manufactured medical-quality protective facial shields for use by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in deployments related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Manufactured from materials strictly specified as suitable for medical use, the facial shields are not similar to commercially available equivalents.
As part of the national data-driven approach to countering COVID-19, the CSIR has developed a platform that monitors human mobility to better understand movement patterns across specific areas, such as virus hotspots, high-risk and vulnerable areas, as well as monitor lockdown compliance and the spread of the virus.
The CSIR has partnered with the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) to enable local Internet service providers to deploy Television White Space (TVWS) networks, using the CSIR-developed Secondary Geo-Location Spectrum Database (S-GLSD) platform.
The CSIR is working towards strengthening the capacity of the Department of Health to improve the handling of COVID-19 infections in South Africa. Researchers are contributing to various activities, such as providing technical support, drafting guidelines, as well as providing training to healthcare workers.
The CSIR is collaborating and contributing to the response strategy of the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport (GDRT) in the development of COVID-19 response plans as part of a long-term programme to improve public transport service delivery in the province.
The CSIR has developed an online government-civil society engagement platform. The discussion platform is devoted to sharing resources and developing responses to lessen the effect of COVID-19 on people living in poorly serviced, dense and crowded informal settlements and inner cities.
South Africa’s National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) approached the CSIR to assist in its preparations to support local municipalities in their response to the COVID-19 disaster and mitigate all possible risks. The focus of the support was to provide conceptual and guiding input to the approach centre’s to the national crisis.
The CSIR’s Prof. Pravesh Debba is leading a group of digital modellers and collaborators that aim to share critical information, knowledge and data with the national Department of Health, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) and other government departments, in responding effectively to the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The CSIR, in collaboration with WaterLab and the University of Pretoria, is testing wastewater, primary sludge and environmental water samples for COVID-19. Wastewater-based epidemiology can be used to monitor infectious diseases, such as COVID-19 and other enteric viruses in communities.