By Abel Chipanera
CHINHOYI: COVID-19 is an infectious condition, which means it can be spread, directly or indirectly, from one person to another at a certain place.
It involves the person’s upper respiratory tract (nose, throat, airways, lungs) caused by the newly discovered coronavirus, known as novel coronavirus that was first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.
It is believed that coronavirus has “high infectivity but low mortality” and that means its mortality rate ranges between 2-3 percent.
Risk of death is only higher in older people (above an age of 60 years) and people with pre-existing health conditions.
According to a survey carried out in Chinhoyi in March to April 2020, lack of verified facts among people are to be blamed hence the media was vital to gather facts and figures to inform people hence the Zimbabwean Government recognised media as an essential service during the lockdown.
It was learnt according to the survey that when a virus is new, many do not know how it may affect people until a research is carried out by experts in this particular case experienced doctors or health scientists so it was important for Zimbabwe to effect the lockdown to avoid the spread of the disease from one person to another.
The lockdown was also vital in the sense that it allows the Ministry of Health and Child Care in Zimbabwe to control those infected by the virus by quarantining or isolating them while the rest of the population practise required health safety measures such as staying at home and practising social distancing hence the lockdown in Zimbabwe that started in March.
Though the diseases is dangerous the World Health Organisation (WHO) analysis indicates that almost 80 percent of people have mild symptoms and can recover from the disease in two weeks and most of the symptoms can be treated with timely medical care according to research.
Analysis of the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines and other experts indicates that older people are twice as likely to have serious Covid-19 illness and most coronavirus illnesses are generally mild, especially for children and young adults hence practising health safety measures such as the use of hand sanitizers, washing hands with running water using soaps are vital while at home.
Responding to the COVID-19 outbreak, Zimbabwe through the Ministry of Health and Child Care has encouraged the public to adopt a number of behaviours that prevent contracting COVID-19 which includes the following: avoid close contact with anyone with a cold or flu-like symptoms; when coughing and sneezing cover mouth and nose with tissue paper or flexed elbow- throw away the tissue immediately and wash hands; maintain a distance of at least a meter from the next person; wash hands thoroughly with soap and running water especially after sneezing or coughing, when caring for the sick, after toilet use, before eating food, before, during and after preparing food, when hands are dirty and after handling animals or animal waste.
The ministry has also urged the people who suspects to have fever, cough and difficulty in breathing seek medical care early and share previous travel history with their health care provider.
The survey also revealed that the public wore masks randomly hence the ministry encouraged the public to wear masks as follows: for healthy people wear a mask only if you are taking care of a person with suspected COVID-19 infection, wear a mask if you are coughing or sneezing and masks are effective only if used in combination with frequent hand sanitizing with alcohol sanitizer or soap and water, if you wear a mask you must know how to use it and dispose of it properly.
The Ministry of Health and Child Care advises the public that there is no specific medicine to prevent or treat coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Those infected with the virus receive appropriate care to relieve and treat symptoms while those with severe illness receive optimized supportive care.
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