World-renowned virologist Gita Ramjee has passed away due to COVID-19 disease. She is the first Indian-origin South African to die from the disease which earlier claimed the lives of five people in the country.?
According to PTI, Ramjee returned to Durban from London a week ago but did not show any symptoms of the deadly virus.?
The 64-year-old virologist was the Clinical Trials Unit Principal Investigator and Unit Director of the HIV Prevention Research Unit of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) offices in Durban.
SAMRC President and CEO Glenda Gray issued a statement on Ramjee's passing --? "We are deeply saddened to inform you of the tragic passing of Prof Gita Ramjee in hospital today. Prof Ramjee died of COVID-19-related complications.”
Ramjee devoted her life in finding cures and better ways to fight HIV, particularly with women, and was the receiver of the Outstanding Female Scientist Award in Lisbon by the European Development Clinical Trials Partnerships (EDCTP). At the time of winning the award, she had said, "This award is an acknowledgement of the unwavering determination by a global community to forever change the trajectory of the HIV/AIDS epidemic."
Adding to Ramjee's statement, Gray had also said at the time that, "Professor Gita Ramjee is a towering HIV prevention research leader whose work continues to contribute immensely to the global response to curb the HIV/AIDS epidemic."
Just like India, South Africa is also living through a 21-day lockdown period in order to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus.