Thesis Title: Effect of the COVID-19 National Lockdown on Road Traffic Accident Fatalities Involving Traumatic Brain Injury: A Retrospective Review of Salt River Mortuary Cases.
Supervisors: Dr Shameemah Abrahams, Dr Itumeleng Molefe and Dr Calvin Mole

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common cause of disability and death worldwide however, there are limited epidemiological studies on TBI in South Africa thus making it difficult to understand its epidemiology and associated risk factors. Consequently, the current burden of TBI at the Salt River Mortuary (SRM) in Cape Town is also unknown, with the previous epidemiological study being outdated. With the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries implemented restrictive lockdown measures, altering the patterns and profiles of TBI cases. Numerous studies highlighted a decrease in road traffic accident (RTA) injuries during the lockdown and a subsequent increase in the post-lockdown period. These findings have indicated the potential influence of the restrictive lockdown measures on the TBI-associated injury profiles. The main aim of this study is to investigate the epidemiology and patterns of TBI-associated deaths due to road RTAs reported to SRM between January 2019 and December 2020 (a period before and during the COVID-19 national lockdown). The findings of this study might help in planning the clinical and pathological resources required for the evaluation of TBI due to RTAs in our local environment, as well as preventative strategies that can be taken to reduce the occurrence of RTAs.