USOLWAZI Abdool Salim Karim ungoti wezifo ezithathelanayo, uthe akubethusanga ukuqhamuka kwegciwane leCovid-19 eselizishintshile i-Omicron, okumenyezelwe ngeledlule ukuthi selikhona ngoba bebevele bazi ukuthi isiwombe sesine singafika negciwane elikhona iDelta noma kube nelinye elisha.
"Ebesingakwazi ukuthi uma sesifika lesi siwombe sizobanjani kodwa besilandela izinkomba ezenziwa ngososayensi eziye zisize umnyango ukuze ukwazi ukuzilungisela.
“Uhulumeni yingakho utshale imali esikhungweni sobuchwepheshe esihlale sicubungula ukuziphatha kwaleli gciwane. Lesi sikhungo sihlale siqaphile sibheka ukuthi leli gciwane lizishintsha kanjani kuqhathaniswa nesikhathi esedlule," kusho yena.
USolwazi Karim ubekhuluma esithangamini sabezindaba ebesihlelwe wuMnyango wezeMpilo kuleli, izolo.
Uqhube wathi nakuba kusekuningi okungakaziwa ngaleli gciwane njengokuthi ngabe liziphatha kanjani kubantu abasha? Ngabe uhlelo olukhona lokwelapha abanalo kumele lushintshwe yini, nokuthi imigomo ekhona yona iyakwazi yini ukulithena amandla?
"Uma sibheka ukuziphatha kwamanye amagciwane phambilini, sibona ukuthi asikabi khona isidingo sokushintsha imithi esilapha ngayo abahaqwe yileli gciwane.
“Ngokubona kwethu, imithi esetshenziswayo manje isazoqhubeka isebenze nakulona ngoba siyazi ukuthi noma lingazishintsha, kunzima ukuthi lishintshe amasosha (T-Cells). Sesiyazi ukuthi kumele senzeni, akusafani nasekuqaleni lapho leli gciwane belilisha, singalazi," kusho uSolwazi Karim.
Uqhube wathi ngokubona kwakhe, kungenzeka babe baningi abantu abahaqekayo okuzokwenza ukuthi izibhedlela zibe nengcindezi.
"Esingakusho okwamanje ukuthi abantu abangagomile abagweme ukuhlanganyela nabanye emicimbini engaphakathi," kusho yena.
UDkt Michelle Groome wesikhungo esibhekelele izifo ezithelelanayo kuleli, iNational Institute for Commnunicable Diseases (NICD), uthe abakuqaphelayo ukuthi izibalo zabahaqwa yileli gciwane ziyakhula eGauteng, eMpumalanga naseNorth West kodwa iGauteng ihamba phambili.
"Esikuqaphelayo ukuthi eGuateng abantu abahaqwa yileli gciwane abalaliswa ezibhedlela benyuke kusukela kwabangu-18 ngosuku baya kwabangu-48 esikhathini esingangesonto," kusho yena.
UDkt Anban Pillay owudokotela eGauteng uthe okwamanje abantu abaningi abafika kubo basuke benezimpawu zomkhuhlane okujwayele ukuthi kube ukukhwehlela nokujuluka ebusuku.
"Okwamanje kuba abagomile nabangagomile, abagomile abajwayele ukugula kakhulu," kuchaza uDkt Pillay.
UNgqongqoshe wezeMpilo kuleli, uDkt Joe Phaahla, uthe abantu abangethuki okwamanje.