Munyaradzi Doma
Covid-19 cases are likely to increase during this festive season and new variants could emerge, World Health Organisation has warned.
This was revealed by Dr Thierno Balde, the WHO Africa Regional Incident Manager during an online cross-border media science café on Tuesday titled “Covid-19 update in Africa.”
“The uptake of cases used to happen during this festive season so we should be vigilant. Last year when we were in December when there were reports of omicron. Coming of a new variant is something that we need to anticipate, the only way we can reduce that risk is to try to do our best in terms of reducing the circulation of the virus,” said Dr Balde.
Dr Balde said that Africa experienced four main variants which are Alpha, Beta, Delta -which was the most difficult causing major severity, and Omicron, which is highly transmissible but less severe.
Dr Balde said despite the low numbers in Africa compared to other regions, people should be careful because the pandemic is ongoing with fatalities being recorded.
“The more the virus circulates the more it can mutate which can induce more severity.
“Covid-19 is a reality, people have been sick of the Covid-19, people have died and continue to die of the Covid-19,” Dr Balde said.
He said that as at December 11, 2022, WHO Africa Region cumulative cases stood at 8 894 184, cumulative deaths 173 981 cumulative recoveries 8 191 052.
He said while the African region has experienced less cases as compared to other regions, there is need to remain alert, as there are inadequate facilities to deal with infections of catastrophic magnitude.
“It is very important that we maintain those public health and social measures so we need to continue monitoring the situation and most importantly to encourage our people to get vaccinated,” said Dr Balde.
He added that as movement shall be increased during the festive season, people should practise good public health guidelines like proper wearing of masks and other social guidelines.
Dr Balde warned that what is happening in other regions could affect 47 member country WHO African region.
He said it is the responsibility of everyone to contain the virus as far as possible.
“If you don’t have other underlying factors and you take the vaccine you are limiting its circulation in the community, so you are protecting other people who may be more vulnerable.
“The more the variant circulates, the more we are likely to have new variants which can escape from all these tools that we have, like the therapeutics and the vaccines and we know where we came from,” said Dr Balde.
Speaking during Tuesday’s post Cabinet briefing, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Monica Mutsvangwa said the government was aware of the risk associated with the festive season hence there was need to keep the pandemic under check.
Cabinet resolved measures such as “strengthening enforcement and adherence to WHO Covid-19 protocols” and “strengthening the school surveillance system in preparation for the reopening of schools in January 2023."
Since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020, Zimbabwe’s cumulative cases stand at 259 559, 253 487 recoveries and 5 625 deaths.
Monica Cheru, Managing EditorSichuan, China-— At the Dujiangyan Water Opening Ceremony, clad in hanfu, a lovely traditional Chinese silk robe that would have been worn by a courtier in the days of s..
ZimbabweMonica Cheru - Managing EditorIn a growing trend of reciprocal travel measures, Brazil announced it will require U.S. citizens to obtain visas starting April 10, 2025, ending a decade-long visa waiv..
U.S.Rutendo Mazhindu- Zim Now ReporterZimbabwe is making significant strides in its fight against polio with the launch of its first-ever Environmental Surveillance unit at the National Polio Laboratory..
Zimbabwe
Leave Comments