What will it take for SAâs health system to save lives in Covid-19âs second wave? By Opinion By Dr Lesedi Motstatsi and Claire Waterhouse South Africa survived a harrowing first wave of Covid-19 with lower deaths than anticipated. With overall population adherence to safety regulations despite their clear economic impact, the country had reason to breathe a small sigh of relief when case loads started dropping. A national effort largely prevented the worst from happening and most analyses seemed to suggest there was some time to prepare before the inevitable second wave hit, just as it started gaining momentum in other parts of the world.