The demoniacal virus continues to torment people unabated. So many lives continue to be lost on a daily basis. Attitude, perception and behaviour seem to contribute to the rise in COVID-19 cases which has so far claimed the lives of more than 2 200 people. It is unfortunate that more people are going to be infected in the near future if some of our actions are allowed to persist. The virus will surely hit us heavily.
Johannes Marisa
Our country has just imported two million more vaccine doses from China, making it one of the fastest movers in Africa in terms of inoculation drive. We should congratulate ourselves for organising such important resources.
COVID-19 has now presented with three waves, but it is the third wave that is more virulent, posing a serious threat to humanity especially in Africa.
The third wave has many active strains of the coronavirus, but the most stubborn of them is the Delta variant (formerly Indian) which is characterised by high transmissibility, fast patient deterioration, high oxygen demand and many casualties.
It is a sad development for Africa considering how underdeveloped health infrastructure is on the continent. Namibia is in trouble with daily deaths now averaging 55.
Measures should surely be put in place to urgently flatten the curve. It is sad as all age groups are being infected and affected with serious impact on the political, economic and social aspects of humanity.
The sad observation is that the virus seems to be slipping under our noses with many of the infections occurring under our watch as our behaviour worsens the extent of the infections. What is needed is discipline and compliance with the stipulated public health measures if we are to conquer this virus.
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So far, the world has lost more than four million people who succumbed to COVID-19. The end seems far.
It is not easy to lose companions unexpectedly, especially to something that one does not have direct control over. Zimbabwe has started to experience torrid times with hospitals raising the red flag over admission space.
It is sad to note that the virus is now moving like a whirlwind, with virtually all towns and cities sending distress calls.
The unfortunate part is that despite all these infections, the populace is not as serious as it was during the second wave, raising fears that we may be heading for a medical catastrophe.
The diabetics are in big trouble and it is my advice that these patients should not be attended to in their homes. They need hospital care. The scourge is already showing signs of surpassing the January 2021 levels. Let us pray to save our dear country!
We have noted, as foot soldiers, why many people are succumbing to COVID-19 in this third wave. Yes, we are a poor country but we have managed to stem the virus to a greater extent despite the limited resources in the country.
The medical personnel has shown a tenacious determination to save lives. Attitude is an established way of thinking or feeling about something while behaviour refers to the way one acts or conducts oneself especially towards others.
It is, therefore, imperative to note that many people are contracting the COVID-19 virus merely because of negative attitude and untoward behaviour.
The third wave surely needs discipline, alas, we seem to be far from that at the moment. It is thus my prayer that the following interventions be made if the country is to mitigate against the effects of the abominable virus.
- Continuous self-treatment should not be allowed. Many patients who are in critical condition require oxygen because of respiratory distress syndrome.
It is not a good idea that patients treat themselves without the advice of medical personnel who should encourage them to have regular oxygen saturation checks with a pulse oximeter.
Patients, who are presenting with oxygen saturation less than 60% in this third wave, stand very little chance of surviving unless high flow oxygen is given. Why allow oxygen saturation to go below 80% while at home? The Delta variant is merciless and seems not to respond to common treatment modalities.
- Good attitude should be encouraged. Many people tend to play the blame game for their failures. When vaccines were first introduced, many people shunned them yet they were free. After realising that there was disinformation and misinformation surrounding the vaccines, there was a scramble for vaccination. Our country was one of the fastest movers in Africa and by now we could have been somewhere had we embraced vaccination earlier.
- Medical advice should be authentic. There are so many people who do not take medical advice because they believe in tradition, qualification or social status. COVID-19 has no boundaries and can visit anyone. The degree of denialism is flabbergasting with such people ending up refusing to be tested for and receive COVID-19 treatment only to meet their fate in few days. When your clinician advises you to get tested, please embrace that with pleasure.
- Respect medical personnel.
Many people have ill-conceived beliefs that with the use of the internet, they can now match medical staff in terms of knowledge which is surely impossible. Internet has provided so many treatment modalities but one should realise that treatment differs based on the specific presentation, age, race or time. It is thus my advice that medical staff be allowed to execute their duties without impediment.
As a routine reminder, please let us not forget the following:
- That Africa is under siege at the moment with many countries raising the red flag. What is needed is to upscale our testing and contact tracing. Much in terms of resources should be channelled to the procurement of testing kits.
The reality is that there are many COVID-19 cases now roaming around the streets of many towns with medical centres detecting those who present to clinics or surgeries.
People need to be reminded that the Delta variant needs to be treated promptly if lives are to be saved. Prolonged steaming is proving futile with many patients developing silent hypoxia, resulting in poor prognosis for late disease.
- That many people are not adhering to public health measures like social distancing, masking up, hand-washing, sanitisation which may result in more misery in few days to come.
It is your duty to promote public health and masking up is not for evading arrest but for your benefit. We ought to remain alert as a nation but mere observation of what is happening especially in the high-density suburbs, leaves a lot to be desired. We want to avoid a healthcare system catastrophe with an unbearable number of cases and deaths, hence, the need to flatten the epidemiological curve. If many people are going to be infected at the same time, we face a high risk of fatalities as medical staff may fail to cope with pressure.
- This is the time for robust health education. Mass media should play a critical role in information dissemination. Many people are complacent, yet the virus is ravaging the entire country including the rural areas especially in Mashonaland West.
The way people are behaving in Zimbabwe leaves a lot to be desired with some saying there is no COVID-19 in the country. Hey, the attack is already upon us and people should learn to report symptoms and signs early. Self-treatment should never be allowed to go beyond a certain number of days if patients are not showing marked improvement. Remember COVID-19 causes septic shock, thrombo-embolism, renal impairment, respiratory distress syndrome and patients with complications require oxygen or ventilation.
Assume that all flu is COVID-19 until proven otherwise. Please report symptoms early and be suspicious when you have a sore throat, cough, hot body, headache, loss of taste, joint pains, fatigability, loss of smell, among others. All age groups are in trouble from the Delta variant.
Keep yourself safe. Know that COVID-19 is upon us and this is not the time to ignore the stipulated measures. Avoid deterioration of the situation. Let us save ourselves from this scourge!
