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Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are of global concern due to their ubiquitous presence, toxicity, and carcinogenicity. No data on PAHs in soils from South Africa have been published, even though it has the largest economy and industrial base in Africa. During this initial assessment, the levels of PAHs were determined in soils and sediments collected from central South Africa, specifically targeting industrial, residential, and agricultural areas. Analysis was performed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The total concentration of PAHs ( t-PAH) ranged between 44 and 39,000 ng/g, dw and the concentration of carcinogenic PAHs ( c-PAH) ranged between 19 and 19,000 ng/g, dw. Pyrogenic processes were the most likely sources, with minimal petrogenic contributions. PAH levels were in the same range as levels reported from other countries, and the majority of the sites did not exceed Canadian environmental quality guidelines. Based on assumptions for dermal contact and ingestion of PAH-contaminated soil, we provisionally calculated only a small increase in cancer risk, but additional PAH inhalation could add considerably to this risk. Our data indicates a need for more analysis in industrial and residential areas, and should include air.

Currently very little data exists on the presence of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the South African environment. To address this data gap a preliminary study of a highly industrialised area of South Africa, the Vaal Triangle, was done. Soil and sediment samples from the Vaal Triangle, as well as other areas in central South Africa, were analysed with high resolution gas chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS) for the presence of PAHs, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxin-like chemicals and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). Results showed that these chemicals are present in the South African environment with concentrations ranging between 39,000 ng g(-1) for SigmaPAHs and 0.01 ng g(-1) for dicofol. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated different pollution sources in industrial and agricultural areas.

After a cluster of human pneumonia cases in Wuhan City (China) on 7 January 2020, a novel coronavirus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was identified as the causative agent of the disease COVID-19 (World Health Organization 2020). It quickly became a global pandemic and continues to rapidly spread across the world, having infected almost 4 million confirmed cases and caused more than 265 000 deaths at time of publication, far surpassing the total cases of SARS and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). Currently, health officials are relying on behavioral interventions and quarantines to contain the COVID-19 spread until effective treatment can be developed and deployed. Scientists and researchers are actively working on lifting pressure off countries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The use of established drugs developed for other diseases (MERS coronavirus, human immunodeficiency virus [HIV], influenza, hepatitis C, Ebola, and malaria) is being investigated to combat the fastmoving COVID-19 spread (Saey 2020). Research has illustrated similarities between COVID-19 and HIV because host convertase, furin, has the potential to cleave the viral envelope glycoproteins of both viruses. This enhances viral fusion with host cell membranes. Furin is highly expressed in human lungs but also in small intestines and liver and might explain the multiple clinical symptoms observed for COVID-19 patients (Coutard et al. 2020). Lopinavir/ritonavir (HIV treatment), chloroquine phosphate (malaria treatment), ribavirin (broadspectrum antiviral), arbidol (influenza virus treatment), and interferon-α (hepatitis treatment) are some of the drugs that have been included in the latest version of the "Guidelines for the Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Novel Coronavirus-Induced Pneumonia," issued by the National