The Sunday Mail
NEW infections and deaths emanating from a deadlier strain of the coronavirus — the Delta variant — around the world, make for grim reading. If Zimbabweans were not alarmed by the sheer force and scale of infections which swept across India in May — the source of the Delta variant — then they should take note of the tsunami that is wrecking havoc across the border in South Africa, much closer to home. Latest figures indicate that new cases rose by 24 270 in South Africa on Friday, surpassing the previous record of 21 980 cases set during the peak of the second wave on January 8.
Its official death toll of 61 332 and cumulative 2,02 million cases make it the hardest-hit African country. It doesn’t help that the Delta, also known as the Indian variant, is already in Zimbabwe and infecting the local population at a frightening pace.
What is equally concerning is that the strain is not only more contagious, but is on course to becoming the dominant version of the virus circulating around the world and crucially in Zimbabwe. Why is it so deadly? Well, the Delta was declared a virus of concern by the World Health Organisation in May (meaning it is more transmissible, causes more severe illness and reduces the effectiveness of vaccines or treatments). Research suggests that the Delta (also known as B.1.617.2) is the most contagious of all the known variants to date. With their propensity to mutate and assume new forms, coronaviruses are notoriously difficult to contain, hence a country like Zimbabwe with limited resources can ill afford to let a variant like Delta take root. It has been reported in more than 95 countries so far and has pushed aside the variant that was dominant in those jurisdictions. It is not all doom and gloom, however, as India, with its 30 million cumulative cases and more than 400 000 deaths, has managed to tame the Delta variant.
The number of average daily cases in India has fallen to just over 40 000 in recent days, down from a peak of 400 000 in May — thanks to tougher lockdowns. Zimbabwe has done fairly well in inoculating its citizens against Covid-19 with the latest figures indicating that the country has administered 1 332 438 vaccines so far (representing about 4,5 percent of the population).
With the recent arrival of 500 000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine and anticipated delivery of a further two million doses from China anytime this month, the Government is well on course to achieving its target of 10 million vaccines and herd immunity before year-end. Official figures show that the country has been averaging 18 428 doses each day and at this rate it will take around 159 days to administer enough doses for another 10 percent of the population.
What this means is that the people of Zimbabwe will be fairly protected from severe illness (should they be infected) and from passing the virus around. On this score, Zimbabwe is ahead of most of its neighbours in the Sadc region and wider African continent — a commendable feat.
However, its vaccination successes can only be effective if new infections are stemmed and a third wave is contained. So far, cases are rising at an exponential rate with more than 1 000 daily infections being recorded. On Friday, we reported 33 deaths and 1 442 new infections (figures last recorded in January).
Active cases are now at 11 254. Vigilance is the watchword, but Zimbabwe cannot go it alone. The problem of the deadly Delta variant is a regional conundrum as much as it is a local headache. It is imperative that the Sadc region takes a united approach to dealing with the new strain by strictly enforcing tougher lockdown measures and flattening curves in their territories. In this regard, Zimbabwe has done well by announcing a Level Four lockdown last week.
Other countries in the region such as South Africa and Namibia have implemented similar measures giving hope for a successful containment of the third wave. Precedent in other parts of the world where the pandemic has largely been brought under control like the European Union and the United States, shows that lockdowns combined with an aggressive vaccination roll out are effective in lowering infections and stopping the virus in its tracks.
It has been noted that most vaccines are effective against the Delta variant despite its aggressive nature. We, therefore, urge Zimbabweans to come out in their numbers and get vaccinated in the latest roll out. We also call on them to heed the lockdown measures by staying indoors, desisting from unnecessary travel, wearing masks in public spaces, social distancing, washing hands and sanitising regularly.
We are aware that constant hard lockdowns are tough on the population as people often experience a decline in income as their livelihoods are disrupted, but the costs of a third wave far outweigh the temporary hardships. Just like the second wave in January this year, this too shall come to pass, hopefully with minimal loss of life and harm to the economy.
So far, the pandemic has had little impact on the country’s economic revival efforts with Treasury indicating that Zimbabwe had displayed remarkable resilience with the economy expected to grow in the short to medium term. The quicker we contain the third wave and mitigate its effects, the faster we will reclaim our normal lives.
