Month: February 2021

Top-matrieks 2020

Danielle Kitshoff van die Hoërskool Dirkie Uys op Moorreesburg is die skool se top-matrikulant vir 2020 met ‘n gemiddeld van 91.9%.

Louis de Jager van die Hoërskool Swartland op Malmesbury is weer dié skool se nommer 1-kandidaat, met ‘n gemiddeld van 90%.

Wenner

Anita Smit van Malmesbury ontvang hier haar geskenkpak by Chrizaan Witbooi van Swartland Joernaal.

Sy is die wenner van die Valentynsdag-kompetisie wat deur People’s Liquor, Ultra Liquor, Just Relax, Nail & Beauty, Die Herehuis en Malmesbury Kwekery moontlik gemaak is.

Oasis Water Malmesbury

Die personeel van die Swartland Joernaal drink net Oasis-water, ná die vriendelike Charles Smoock ‘n watertenk goedgunstig aan die kantoor beskikbaar gestel het.

Installasie was binne ‘n japtrap en nou kan ons heerlike koel en verfrissende water heeldag geniet.

Besoek Oasis Water in Dirkie Uysstraat 6 op Malmesbury of kontak Charles by 022 487 5176.

Besoek hulle aanlyn by www.oasiswater.co.za of raak deel van hulle sosiale media by OasisWaterMalmesbury op Facebook.

Vaccine trials?

Ask #BloemMomDoc

• How do vaccine trials work?
One of the most common concerns among people is that the COVID vaccines were developed “too fast.” I think to myself, what do these people think the appropriate time would then be for a vaccine trial to be? Do they even know what a vaccine trial is and what it entails?
Vaccines are developed, tested, and regulated very closely, just like medications. They are actually much better studied and safety-tested than medications on your pharmacy shelf because of the large number of participants in vaccine clinical trials.
So you can probably trust vaccines more than the unregulated vitamins you buy off the street.

While I am no vaccine researcher in any form, I researched it a bit, and I dumbed it down for myself to understand. So I thought I would explain how vaccine trials work to set some minds at ease.
• What are the phases of a clinical trial?•
• The exploratory and pre-clinical phase•
This is a very research-intensive stage. Intelligent people in labs try to figure out methods of producing an immune response the same way a virus or bacteria would in the human body. This can take a few years to get right since new technology needs to be developed. They then test it on tissue and cells in the labs and animals to check their immune response.
In the COVID vaccine’s instance, this could be achieved in months. More people focused their attention on using technology already known in other vaccines (thus cutting a lot of the research time) to use in a COVID vaccine.
There was much more funding from stakeholders due to it being a pandemic. More labs and scientists could focus their attention on the process.

• Phase 1 testing•
This phase is the first time the vaccine created in the lab is tested on humans. Usually, about 20-100 healthy adults are given the vaccine to test the safety and immune response they get from these vaccines. These candidates are fully aware of the clinical trials they enlist into and the risks involved. It is voluntary. This process can take up to a year to complete.
• Phase 2•
In this phase, scientists must try and figure out what the most effective dose is needed of the vaccine to create the best response, and in turn, is also safe. They look for expected reactions to the vaccine and serious events, which are usually rare. This is monitored throughout all the phases. This is something they do not skimp on and also takes about a year.
In this phase, they usually include many more healthy trial participants (1000 or more) of various ages, races, etc. They are checked for reactions a week after vaccination and a month after as well. They try to include participants that are at high risk of developing the disease.
• Phase 3a•
In this stage, they already know the safe dose to administer, so now they study the vaccine’s efficacy. We now know which dose of the vaccine is needed for maximal immune response. We know the vaccine is safe and how many doses to give due to the previous phases. Now we need to see if it is successful in preventing the infection or reducing the disease’s severity if they do get it.
More volunteers are recruited and of a more diverse nature: more ages, ethnicities, disease profiles, risk factors, etc. They also include people more vulnerable to the disease, in COVID’s case, those with co-morbidities and older age. We are talking about 10 000+ people here. They usually choose sites for the trial where the disease is very prevalent, and the chances of being infected are high.
In COVID’s case, all the epidemiologists and smart people knew where these hotspots were since everyone was tracking the disease so closely. They knew straight away where to test the vaccines.
All these study participants were tested for COVID, and if they were negative, they were divided into 2 groups. They are randomized, meaning the 2 groups’ people have the same characteristics. One group receives a placebo injection; the other gets the study vaccine. None of the participants know which group they are in. The people administering the vaccines also do not know if they are administering the vaccine or placebo. We call this a double-blinded study. Participants find out at the end of the trial the group they belonged to and if they received the vaccine or placebo.
They are then followed up if they experience any COVID symptoms, and again, monitor for any adverse effects. Even if they developed COVID, they are monitored to see if they develop mild, moderate, or severe disease or death. They are then compared with the severity of illness from people of the other placebo/vaccine group to see if there is a difference between them.
Since many participants will receive the vaccine in this phase than in previous phases, they can monitor much better for side effects, since they might not have occurred in the smaller number vaccinated in the earlier phases. If severe adverse events occur, or they see the vaccine’s impact is not really different, they have to stop the study and then change things before it can be restarted again.
This phase can take years due to getting enough study participants and waiting for the disease to actually affect (or not affect, hopefully!) the participants. In COVID’s case, people were standing in line to become study participants, and since the SARS-COV2 virus was so prevalent, they didn’t have to wait long for it to infect a few participants.
After a successful phase 3a, manufacturers now apply to regulatory bodies to get the vaccines approved. These bodies then go through all the data collected and safety profiles meticulously. They look at if every vaccine they produce is the same as the others, so all of them can induce immunity the same way.
• Phase 3b•
This is performed near the time of approval to accumulate additional findings, which may be required as a condition of regulatory body approval. In short, the manufacturer has jumped through all the hoops to prove it is safe and it works. Still, the approval bodies might want more info to expand their labelling or data.
In South Africa, the Jansen Johnson & Johnson vaccine is being rolled out in a Phase 3b study to our healthcare workers. We know it has gone through all the safety and efficacy tests. It is just awaiting approval from regulatory bodies to start mass production to get it to the rest of the world.
• Phase 4•
Even after approved, these regulatory bodies still monitor the vaccine process. They monitor production sites and vaccine contents. This is especially important when it comes to adverse effects as well. An example of this is the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).

Superspar Yzerfontein word 1

Die Superspar Yzerfontein vier Saterdag hul eerste verjaarsdag.

Hierdie winkel het verlede jaar op 27 Februarie hul deure geopen en intussen van krag tot krag gegaan.

Jason en Ashleigh Nel het hierdie winkel ‘n baken op die kusdorp omskep en is ‘n gewilde bymekaarkomplek vir besoekers in inwoners.

Landbou

BEGROTINGSREDE

Watter hulp kan landbou verwag

Die groei wat die landbousektor in 2020 ten spyte van Covid-19 inperkingsregulasies getoon het, bevestig die sektor se onmisbare rol in die ekonomie van die land. Die landbou sal in 2021 voortgaan om geleenthede te gebruik, maar die regering gaan moet help om die kwessies op die tafel wat die volhoubaarheid van die sektor belemmer, aan te spreek.
Nie alle sektore van die landbou het egter in 2020 floreer nie en veral die wynbedryf en die gepaardgaande waardeketting het enorme verliese vanweë inperkingsregulasies gely. Die regering gaan finansiële hulp beskikbaar moet maak om die bedryf op sy voete te help en ‘n sosio-ekonomiese ramp te verhoed.

Die posisie waarin die Land Bank hom bevind, moet dringend aandag kry, en nie net deur aan te hou om geld in ‘n bodemlose put te stort nie. Die bestuur en die struktuur van die instelling moet drasties reggeruk word indien daar hoop is om die Land Bank enigsins weer doeltreffend op dreef te kry. Regeringshulp gaan ook beskikbaar gemaak moet word vir provinsies wat steeds droogtetoestande beleef. In die Wes-Kaap self is groot dele van die provinsie steeds vasgevang in toestande van ramp-afmetings en finansiële ondersteuning deur die regering is dringend nodig en sal verwelkom word.

Dit is nie duidelik waar die regering met die ontbondelingsproses van Eskom trek nie en gegewe ‘n aansienlike verwagte styging in kragtariewe wat ‘n uiters negatiewe impak op die landbousektor gaan hê, sal Agri Wes-Kaap graag wil hoor wat die vordering van die proses is. Agri Wes-Kaap hoop dat die Minister van Finansies kennis neem van die bogenoemde dringende kwessies vir die landbousektor en dat dit in sy komende begrotingsrede aandag sal kry.

Kalwerliefde

‘n Ou en bekende sê-ding lui: Kalwerliefde. Wel, op Môrester van Neels Neethling het hierdie Afrikaanse sê-ding gestalte aangeneem toe hierdie kalf sy liefde vir plaasbestuurder Tobie Louw gewys het. Die kalf het hom ‘n bietjie liefde betoon na afloop van Valentynsdag en hom ‘n goeie lek op die kop gegee!

Hoe gemaak met my tuin in Maart

Die somersdae is nog baie warm, maar die dae begin alreeds krimp en een van die dae is dit herfs, vanaf 21 Maart wanneer die dag en nag ewe lank is.
Ek kry baie gereeld vrae oor probleme in ons tuine.

Die eerste is tuiniers wat sukkel om hul grasperk mooi en gesond te hou.
Die grootste probleem huidiglik is GRASPERK-RUSPERS, vanaf November tot omtrent einde Maart is die kalante baie bedrywig.

Daardie vaal, oneweredige, dooie kolle in jou grasperk is heel moontlik te wyte aan hulle bedrywighede. Om seker te maak dat dit wel jou probleem is, gooi ‘n nat sak of handdoek oornag op die grasperk, en lig dit die volgende oggend baie vroeg op en jy sal die ruspers sien. Om dit te behandel kry ons ‘n paar produkte: KARBASPRAY, KOINOR, 4:1:1 MET GIFSTOF en CYPER (Sipermetrien). Maak aan volgens voorskrif en deurdrenk die kolle laataand, want die peste kom snags na die oppervlak om hul vreetwerk te doen. Nog ‘n kalant wat kan probleme gee is WATERKRIEKE. Behandel die probleem ook soos hierbo met die volgende produkte: LAWN PROTECTOR of MERIDIAN. Om jou grasperk mooi groen te hou, is daar drie moet doen dinge – GENOEG WATER, GENOEG VOEDING, GEREELD SNY (selfs tot 2 maal per week), moet dit net nie in baie warm weer te kort sny nie, die wortels en stingels sal SONBRAND opdoen.
Die tweede probleem is tuiniers wat kla oor miswurms (grubs, dik vet, wit ruspers) in hul tuin, maar veral in potte en houers. Nou waar kom die kalante vandaan?

Dit is TORRE wat hul eiers in die lekker vrugbare & komposryke grond kom lê. Dan broei die eiers uit en die miswurms geniet hulself in die komposryke medium en doen ook skade aan die wortels van jou plante. Daar is ook produkte om met hulle af te reken: PLANT CARE en ook MERIDIAN.
Meng volgens voorskrif en deurdrenk die grond rondom jou plante, pasop net vir eetbare gewasse, want PLANT CARE is ‘n sistemiese gif.
Nou eers genoeg van die probleme. Een van die dae is dit alweer tyd om ons blombolle vir winter- en lenteblomme in die grond te kry.
Moet net nie te vroeg begin plant nie, want die grond moet eers koel word, wanneer die grond te warm is, vrot die bolle en knolle.

Hier is ‘n lys van variëteite wat eersdaags beskikbaar sal wees – ANEMONE, FREESIAS, RANONKELS, WATSONIAS, HOLLANDSE IRISSE, ens. So ‘n rukkie na hulle arriveer die AFFODILLE (Daffodils) & LEUCOJUM (Sneeuvlokkies). Lees die instruksies op die verpakkings wat sê hoe diep en hoe ver uit mekaar jy jou bolle moet plant, of dit volson, halfskadu of skaduwee wil hê. Bolle kan met groot genot en sukses in houers gekweek word.
Moet nie die fout maak om jou bolle in houers van die begin af binnenshuis te kweek nie, hulle sal langbeen word en omval sodra dit effens lengte kry, veral wanneer die blomme verskyn en hul koppe te swaar word.
Groei dit buite in die omstandighede soos wat die verpakking voorskryf, en wanneer dit in blom kom, kan jy dit vir jou in die huis vir kort periodes gebruik as versiering. Om die blombolle te herwin nadat dit klaar geblom het, knip net die dooie blomsteel uit en versorg die plant nog steeds met liefde totdat die blare vanself begin doodgaan, dan kan jy dit ook afknip en die bolle in die potte droog, of die bolle uithaal uit die grond uit en in ‘n lemoensakkie (of iets soortgelyks) droog blare in jou tuinhuisie of tuingereedskap, stoorplek, om volgende plantseisoen weer te plant.
Onthou om terwyl die bolplante nog blare aan het dit steeds gereeld voeding te gee, sodat die bolle kan energie opbou vir die volgende blomseisoen.

ONTHOU: stuur vir ons jul tuinbou vrae na info@malmesburykwekery.co.za
Sterkte met die tuinmaak, ons gesels weer 24 Maart 2021.
George Retief

So lyk die damvlakke

Die damvlakke van die voorsieningskanaal van die Wes-Kaap het Maandag op 78% gestaan, in vergelyking met verlede week se 80% en verlede jaar dieselfde tyd se 66.3%.
Die Bergrivier se vlak het Maandag op 78% gestaan. Verlede week het die damvlak op 79.9% gestaan en verlede jaar dieselfde tyd op 79.1%.
Die Laer-Steenbras is nou 72.8% vol, in vergelyking met verlede week se 74.6% en verlede jaar se 70.9%.
Die Theewaterskloofdam het Maandag op 81.9% gestaan. Verlede week was die dam 83.9% vol en 60.5% verlede jaar op dieselfde tyd. Die Wemmershoekdam was Maandag 78.5% vol, waar dit verlede week op 80.5% gestaan het. Verlede jaar was die dam dieselfde tyd 65.9% vol.
Die Voëlvleidam was Maandag 72.7% vol. Verlede week het die dam se vlak op 74.9% gestaan en verlede jaar op 65.7%.
Bron: www.capetown.gov.za

Mense is ons prioriteit!