Everson Luhanga
Uhlobo olusha lwe-Covid-19, olutholwe okokuqala e-Botswana, kuthiwa luyingozi kakhulu futhi lusababalala ngokushesha.
I-National Institute for Communicable Diseases (i-NICD), uphiko lwe-National Health Laboratory Service, baqinisekise ukuthi uhlobo olusha lwe-Covid-19 olwaziwa nge-B.1.1.529 selitholakele eNingizimu Afrika.
Ezinsukwini ezimbalwa ezedlule, isibalo besingama-22 se-B.1.1.529 esiqoshiwe ezweni. Lokhu ukusebenzisana kwe-genomic sequencing phakathi kwe-NICD nezindawo zocwaningo ezizimele.
Ukwengeza, kwezinye izindawo zocwaningo i-NGS-SA iqinisekisa isibalo esikhuphukayo njengoba imiphumela iphuma ngokulandelana.
Ibamba lomqondisi omkhulu kwa-NICD uSolwazi u-Adrian Puren uthe: “Akumangazi ukuthi kutholakale uhlobo olusha eNingizimu Afrika.
“Nakuba imininingwane ilinganiselwe, ochwepheshe bethu basebenza isikhathi esengeziwe nazo zonke izinhlelo zokugada ezimisiwe ukuze baqonde okuhlukile nokuthi kungaba yini imithelela engaba khona.
“Intuthuko yenzeka ngesivinini futhi umphakathi unesiqiniseko sokuthi sizohlezi sibazisa ngoshintsho,” usho kanje
Udokotela u-Angelique Coetzee, ongusihlalo wenhlangano yokwelapha eNingizimu Afrika, uthe leli gciwane kuthiwa liqale ukuvela e-Botswana labe seliqala ukusabalala e-Pitoli.
Ngemuva kokubamba iqhaza emhlanganweni obungoLwesine nabanye ongoti bezempilo nabasebenzi abasekomidini labaluleki boNgqongqoshe nge-Covid-19, udokotela uCoetzee uthe i-Gauteng kufanele ikhathazeke ngaleli gciwane eliza ngokushesha. Bakhona asebethelelekile esibhedlela i-Chris Baragwanath abanye basesibhedlela sase-Tshwane.
Uthe isibalo esitholakele kanye namaphesenti okuhlolwa ukuthi sebethelelekile yini sikhuphuka ngokushesha, ikakhulukazi e-Gauteng, e-North West kanye nase-Limpopo.
Yize abanye abantu abangenwe yileli gciwane elisha sebegonyiwe, abantu abangagonyiwe basethubeni elikhulu lokusabalalisa leli gciwane kunalabo abagonyiwe, egcizelela.
“Abantu abagonyiwe bakhombisa izimpawu ezingelula neze, abafani nalabo abangagonyiwe,” kusho udokotela.
Leli gciwane lingasabalala kakhulu ngalesi sikhathi samaholidi, njengoba abantu abaningi behamba futhi behambela imicimbi yokuphela konyaka.
“Kukhona imicimbi nemigubho yonke indawo. Abanye abantu bangena ezixukwini ezinjalo bengafakile izifonyo futhi abayigcini imigomo yezempilo ye-coronavirus.
“Uma ukuziphatha kwabantu abasha kungashintshi, izwe lizophoqeleka ukuthi liyiswe kumvalelandlini,” kusho udokotela.