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EDITORS’ Corner
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the coordination of the overall project activities. “I assist the team by providing the critical input/suggestions to the team in the selection and optimisation of the molecular methods, assisting the team for acquiring funding for the research, initiating collaborations with national, international and local partners, and leading the discussion with external collaborators when required,” she said.
COVID-19 infection caused by SARS- CoV-2 has remained a major public health threat globally, rapidly spreading by the day. Ever since it was first detected in 2019, there has been frantic efforts towards monitoring and curtailing the spread. It has infected well over 130 million individuals and killed more than 3 million people globally. The usual contact tracing and clinical testing have proven insufficient to arrest it. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has gained traction as a cost- effective approach, complementary to the expensive, conventional clinical-based surveillance and screening. WBE entails analysing wastewater of a community quantitatively for the presence of biological agents (pathogens such as bacteria or viruses) or chemicals (antibiotics or illicit drugs) for public health monitoring purposes. Substances consumed by individuals, are excreted, either unchanged or as metabolites mixture, while infectious agents or their genetic markers are shed with faeces/urine during infection and these end up in the sewer networks.
The WBE approach, therefore, captures every category of the infected individual, whereas with clinical testing and contact tracing, many infected people may be overlooked and their contacts not traced. This is due to the high number of pre-symptomatic, asymptomatic cases and people with mild symptoms. With symptomatic and hospitalised cases accounting for just 20% of the total COVID-19 infections, about 80% of others are not accounted for.
The WBE approach is based on the detection of the viral genetic marker (RNA) in wastewater due to the shedding of the viral particle in faeces and sometimes urine of infected individuals. This detection of the RNA is achieved through PCR. However, it must be noted that to date, no infectious SARS-CoV-2 particle has been detected in wastewater. WBE has successfully been used for COVID-19 surveillance in several countries, including U.S., Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Prof Bux stressed that he and his team got into the research very early on in the pandemic so that they found a niche and need for the research and the findings helped with trying to understand the pandemic.
“Going forward, we now have a benchmark of the viral concentrations within the different areas and hopefully with our technology we can detect when the third wave is expected to start and inform the respective authorities and the water utilities so that they can act on it,” said Prof Bux.
Professor Sibusiso Moyo:
Deputy Vice- Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Engagement
The years 2020 and 2021 will probably go down in our history as the years of the challenging pandemic. The South African higher education sector has had to make several adjustments in terms of how it engages with its students and alumni. Revelations on the state of ICT infrastructure and capabilities to ensure online teaching and learning, research and innovation have been revealed and different institutions appear in different states of readiness.DUThashadtoadjustfairlyquicklytoprovide virtual engagement platforms as well. Coupled with this has been the lived experiences of our staff in terms of the impact of the pandemic. It is during such a time that we look up to the stars in our community who continue to bring hope and break through cultural and traditional barriers that seem to be a perpetual distraction to many.
As a university of technology, we have also continued to break boundaries on the research and innovation front. We were ranked in 2020 by the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2021 to be among the top 500 universities and ranked 10th globally for citations (the first South African university of technology to achieve this). This then placed us in fifth position among all South African universities. It shows that ‘excellence’, which is one of our ENVISION 2030 values, has no boundaries. If you are excellent in what you do, you will make your impact even beyond your imagination. Since this ranking, DUT has been further ranked 90th by the World University Rankings for 2021 in the Emerging Economies category. Additionally, the World Universities with Real Impact (WURI) 2020 ranking placed DUT 43rd globally in the Ethical Value category. All these accolades mean a lot for both our staff and partners (both nationally and internationally).
Our innovation and entrepreneurship agenda has also not gone unnoticed and in this issue of the Conduit, I wish to congratulate our staff who continue to show that opportunities are everywhere around us. Even in this time of the pandemic, there is still a silver lining if you look hard enough. Hard work, dedication, focus and discipline can help one excel no matter what the challenges may be. Thanks to our DUT Council and Management Team that continue to ensure that there is an enabling environment for innovation and entrepreneurship. Look out for the launch of our ‘DUT Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’.
Together we can continue to find ways to drive our futures through ENVISION 2030, with the exciting and rare opportunities it provides!
Alan Khan:
Senior Director of Corporate Affairs
Welcome to the 2021 academic year. The last 12 months have been life-changing. Many of us have been affected by COVID-19, either personally or we know of people who were infected and in some instances, family and friends who sadly passed on. May their souls rest in peace and may their memories be a blessing.
Despite the challenges faced over the last year, we also
had some positive news. One the highlights was when
DUT was named as one of the top five universities in
South Africa (as rated by the Times Higher Education
World University Rankings 2021). We are proud of our staff, students and alumni who continue to make such a positive contribution to our world. DUT has embraced ENVISION 2030, which is guiding us towards a decade of improving lives and livelihoods. Being people-centred and engaged, innovative and entrepreneurial is part of our DNA. While our environment is changing, DUT is positioning itself so that we can participate productively in the development of our region, country and world.
Have a safe and blessed year.
Noxolo Memela: Communications Manager
Last month, we celebrated a year since COVID-19 hit our shores. When 2020 began, none of us expected it to become the new ‘normal’. It is no secret that COVID-19 has brought people pain; some have lost everything – loved ones, jobs, homes and vehicles. You can easily ask yourself if there will be an end in sight and while going through the ordeal and the loss, you might think that it’s the end of you and the world. However, I am a firm believer that you are not given a load bigger than what you can handle. It all depends on how you look at and deal with it. It is absolutely normal to feel defeated when challenges loom, but nothing lasts forever, therefore, defeat cannot be allowed to dictate how your life should be.
Right now, we are faced with the uncertainty of the vaccine rollout and although the process to vaccinate health workers commenced in February 2021, it seems to be slow. It is quiet understandable for citizens to question whether the government is doing enough to make sure that more people are vaccinated. We are living in fear of the unknown; we cannot even plan ahead because we don’t know when the third wave will begin, bringing stricter lockdown restrictions. As much as people call this the new normal, there is certainly nothing normal about what COVID-19 has forced us into. However, we cannot dwell on that and neither can we sit back and feel sorry for ourselves. We don’t know what will happen in the future and we have no control of it. Ours is to hope for the best and work towards excellence.
In 2021, we cannot have the same outlook on the ‘new normal’ that we had when we were introduced to the virus. Therefore, let us take this year as our rebirth; let us embrace that we are still alive, employed, can study and have another chance to make the most of our lives. As we welcome our new colleagues and students, we would like to say: Don’t dwell too much on what you went through in 2020 but look at the new chapter of your life that the entire DUT community will be part of. Let us continue to work in unity, aim for excellence and be the best that we can be. We don’t know how this year will end but we know that when it does, we would have given our best to ourselves, our university and our families. It is by the grace of the Almighty that we are where we are today. You have this under control, and the power is in your mind, heart, reasoning and in your hands.
Have the greatest, most productive and fulfilling 2021. Be kind, be safe and stick to COVID-19 protocols so that we can overcome this virus in unity.
How to contact us:
Mr Alan Khan: alank@dut.ac.za or 031 373 2906/2106
Miss Bongiwe Chiliza: bongiwec@dut.ac.za or 031 373 2106 Miss Noxolo Memela: noxolom@dut.ac.za or 031 373 2845 Mrs Waheeda Peters: waheedap@dut.ac.za or 031 373 2113 Miss Simangele Zuma: simangelez1@dut.ac.za or 031 373 2899
Mr Aman Mahomed: amanullahm@dut.ac.za or 031 373 2339 Mr Nkululeko Mbatha: nkululekom4@dut.ac.za or 031 373 2107 Mr Theo Mhlangu: nkanyisom1@dut.ac.za or 031 373 6529
Miss Nikiwe Sukazi: caadmin2@dut.ac.za or 031 373 6529
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