KUNGENZEKA ukuthi iNingizimu Afrika isingena esiwombeni sesihlanu sokuhlasela kweCovid-19 kodwa asikabikhona isidingo sokuthi abantu babe novalo yize izibalo zabahaqwa yileli gciwane ngosuku zinyuka ngamandla.
Lokhu kushiwo uSolwazi Mosa Moshabela weNyuvesi yaKwaZulu-Natal, ngesikhathi ephawula ngokuthi ngabe sesingenile yini isiwombe sesihlanu sokuhlasela kwaleli gciwane njengoba sibona izibalo zabahaqwa yileli gciwane zinyuka ngamandla.
Uthe okwamanje izibalo ziyanyuka kodwa abantu abangaqali bethuke ngoba abantu abaningi abakadingi ukulaliswa ezibhedlela uma behaqwe ygciwane elifuqwa iBA.4 neBA.5 okungamagciwane azalwe i-Omicron.
"Okumele sihlale sikulindele ukuthi kungenzeka kube nabantu abazogula isikhathi eside ngenxa yoCovid-19 nakuba bengeke balaliswe ezibhedlela kodwa uma bengabantu abasebenzayo kuzoba nesikhathi sokuthi bangasebenzi ngoba begula," kusho uSolwazi Moshabela.
Izinga lokutheleleka kwabantu ngaleli gciwane selenyukele ku-25% izibalo zakamuva ezikhishwe isikhungo esibhekele izifo ezithathelanayo kuleli, iNational Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) ziveza ukuthi bangu-5,486 abantu abasha abahaqwe yigciwane okuholele ekutheni isibalo sabahaqwe yilona selokhu lafika lisinyukele ku-3 841 388, bayisikhombisa okubikwe ukuthi libabulele ngesikhathi esifanayo osekuholele ekutheni babe ngu-100,523 abantu eselibabulele.
UMoshabela uthe kusemandleni omphakathi ukuthi uzivikele ngokuthi ugome ukuze ungaguli kakhulu uma unegciwane.
Usolwazi Francois Venter waseWits University, uthe ngokubona kwakhe sesingenile isiwombe sesihlanu sokuhlasela kweCovid-19. Uthe lokho ukusho ngoba izibalo eziphezulu zabantu abahaqwe yigciwane zagcina ukuba khona ngoDisemba ukubuya kwazo kusho ukuthi sekungene esinye isiwombe.
"Okwamanje singasho ukuthi isiwombe sesihlanu sizobe sifuqwa iBA.4 neBA.5," kusho yena.
USolwazi Tulio de Oliviera, wesikhungo esicwaninga ngokuzishintsha kwe-Covid-19 iKZN Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform, uthe ukwenyuka kwezibalo kwakamuva kukhombisa ukuthi isiwombe sokuhlasela esisha kungenzeka sifuqwe igciwane eliphume kwelinye njengoba kwenzeka manje izibalo zenyuswa iBA.4 neBA.5 okungamagciwane azalwa i-Omicron.
Uthe okwamanje indlela yokugwema ukusabalala kweCovid-19 kuseyikho ukugoma.
“Abantu abaningi bacabanga ukuthi ukungenwa yileli gciwane kwenza uvikeleke ekutheni ngesikhathi esizayo likungene kanti ukuvikeleka okuthola ngoba uke wahaqeka phambilini ngemuva kwezinyanga ezintathu kuyehla, okukubeka ethubeni lokuthi uphinde uhaqeke futhi,” kusho uSolwazi Oliviera.