Research Projects
DETECTION AND MONITORING OF SARS-CoV-2 RNA FRAGMENTS IN WASTEWATER USING A MALDI-TOF MASS SPECTROMETER
The purpose of this study is to develop an analytical test method for the detection and quantification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA fragments in sewer wastewater, using a MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer. With this technology, we intend to obtain test results within a few minutes, thus enabling us to confirm the…
A 12-month Prospective study: A Self-reported outcome of South African population recovering from COVID-19 pandemic
The brief purpose of this study is to determine the patient-reported outcomes of participants recovering from COVID-19. This is a longitudinal study seeking to study the same population over a period of 12 months in intermittent timepoints. This study will collect data and assess the change in…
Robots to contain the spread COVID-19
The spread of COVID-19 can be contained by taking appropriate measures - like wearing of masks, social distancing, use of hand sanitizers, staying indoors if someone has symptoms of COVID-19 etc. From public health perspective there is a need to monitor if an individual is following the protocols…
Review of Big Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence and Nature-inspired Computing Models towards Accurate Detection of COVID-19 Pandemic Cases and Contact Tracing
This review paper has explored big data, artificial intelligence and nature-inspired computing models for detection of the COVID-19 pandemic cases, and for contact tracing in the current pandemic.
WASTEWATER-BASED EPIDEMIOLOGY FOR COVID-19 DETECTION IN WASTEWATER
With the economic and practical limits of medical screening for SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 coming sharply into focus worldwide, scientists are turning now to wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) as a potential tool for assessing and managing the pandemic. This approach is built on the knowledge that some…
DETECTION AND MONITORING OF SARS-CoV-2 RNA FRAGMENTS IN WASTEWATER USING A MALDI-TOF MASS SPECTROMETER
Wastewater monitoring has been successfully used to identify illicit drug hotspots, and track and provide early warnings of occurrences of pathogenic viruses such as Hepatitis A and Norovirus. Likewise, there is a potential value in using wastewater surveillance to monitor the existence and spread…
Neuropsychological Sequelae in Survivors of Severe COVID-19: A Research Proposal
Accumulating data confirms that coronaviruses are not restricted to the respiratory system and that they are able to invade the central nervous system leading to neurological disorders. Nonetheless, studies to date of COVID-19 have primarily focussed on morbidity and/or pulmonary function, but…
Dietary habits and health outcomes of African populations during COVID-19 lockdown
The objective of this research is to comparatively assess the changes in dietary habits of various populations during the COVID-19 lockdown and to also determine the effect this has on people’s health. As a result of the lockdown situation to combat the spread of COVID-19, movements have been…
SAPRIN Covid-19 Surveillance
A coordinated system of disease surveillance will be critical to effectively control the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. Such systems enable rapid detection and mapping of epidemics and inform allocation of scarce prevention and intervention resources. Although many lower- and middle-…