Medscheme data shows effect of Covid-19 vaccination
AfroCentric’s Medscheme, one of SA’s largest medical scheme administrators, adminsters schemes such as Bonitas, Fedhealth, POLMED, the SABC and Nedgroup Medical Aid.
Data collected by Medscheme
Data is collected for most of the 3.9 million beneficiaries under Medscheme’s management and includes 15 medical schemes
The Covid-19 positive admission trends observed by Medscheme are remarkably similar to those reported by National Institute of Communicable Diseases’ (NICD’s) DATCOV, although they are only for a portion of the South African population and largely private sector.
Hospital admissions for vaccinated
Nationally the third wave of Covid-19 +ve (positive) hospital admissions peaked 12 weeks ago. Covid-19 +ve hospital admissions in Kwazulu-Natal peaked six weeks ago and Eastern Cape peaked five weeks ago.
The data collected shows that of the scheme’s beneficiaries currently hospitalised in a general ward for Covid-19:
- 96.3 in 100 are not vaccinated*
- 2.6 in 100 are partially vaccinated
- 1.1 in 100 are fully vaccinated.
The data collected shows that of the scheme’s beneficiaries currently hospitalised in a high care or ICU ward for Covid-19:
- 193 in 200 are not vaccinated
- 6.1 in 200 are partially vaccinated
- 0.9 in 200 are fully vaccinated.
The data collected shows that of the Covid-19 in-hospital deaths (wave 3 only):
- 968 in 1,000 are not vaccinated
- 30.3 in 1,000 are partially vaccinated
- 1.7 in 1,000 are fully vaccinated.
*Some in the not vaccinated group may have been vaccinated but no vaccination claim has been received so it is marked as not vaccinated.
Vaccines update
Of the medical schemes in AfroCentric/Medscheme’s care, 449 079 beneficiaries have been vaccinated so far, based on claims data received from across all schemes since Monday, 17 May.
In the 18-34 age group, 66,791 have already been vaccinated.
Further vaccine claims are still being refined, and the scheme is working on incorporating additional data sources.
Covid-19 pathology claims
As of October 2021 Medscheme has received 2,205 million claims for Covid-19 pathology tests across all its schemes since March 2020, with 18.56% positive on average, higher during the Covid-19 peaks and lower in between peaks.
