ZAMBIA is reeling under the onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic with more than 100 people dying from the disease within a space of three days.
This by our national standards is a disaster. The population of this nation is not big enough to sustain such loss of lives. This is a catastrophe and it must be arrested before the situation is beyond redemption.
The power to reverse what is happening in the health of the nation is within the means of every Zambian. It is something that needs a personal resolve that would culminate in a community decision and collective responsibility to preserve life.
The survival instincts need to be reignited in all Zambians for everyone to think positively and make an effort to protect themselves and their family and friends from the Covid-19 pandemic.
What people need to be told is that Covid-19 is a very contagious disease which is easily spread. Its ability to infect millions of people effortlessly and without the victims knowing, makes it a very dangerous ailment.
The total global figures show that nearly 200 million people have been infected and over 3.8 million have lost their lives to the pandemic. Locally, more than 1, 500 lives have been lost with 125, 000 infections .
The United States has had more than 33 million infected and over 600, 000 dead followed by Brazil which has recorded 498, 000 deaths.
Yesterday, the nation was yet again reminded of the gloom hovering over the nation as cases of Covid continue to rise.
The Covid-19 third wave has continued ravaging the country and has claimed 41 lives in the last 24 hours, with 1, 816 positive cases recorded, Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary – Technical Services Dr Kennedy Malama said.
From all indications, the trouble for Africa is just starting as Dr Malama also disclosed that the World Health Organisation has announced a 52 percent increase in Covid-19 cases in Africa in the past one week.
He said that the numbers keep on increasing and that experience is not unique to Zambia but a regional and global phenomena.
This means that even countries which would normally help Zambia could themselves be constrained as they are also fighting to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.
This therefore calls for home grown decisions to fight the pandemic as a united front. This means observing the Covid-19 preventive measures; no shaking hands, social distancing, sanitising hands, washing hands with soap regularly and masking up.
It is however regrettable that despite all these measures being put in place and government making masking up mandatory, there is little evidence to show adherence among the public.
To the contrary, it has been business as usual in most public places like markets and bus stations and in shopping malls. This is despite Government pronouncements to enforce the Covid-19 preventive measures.
This will no doubt lead to more lives being lost to a very painful disease. Those who have seen relatives gasping for their lives, can attest to this. Those who still doubt the existence of Covid-19 and just how savage it attacks the respiratory system, should visit any health centre and see people queuing with relatives gasping for breath waiting to be attended. That is how bad it has become. That is Zambia’s reality.
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