Kufunwa isiguli sokuqala se-Covid: yini imbangela yobhubhane lwe-Covid?

Arthur Greene

Ubani umuntu wokuqala ukuba ne-Covid-19?

Impendulo yalowo mbuzo izosiza ukusitshela ukuthi yini eyadala ubhubhane olubulale abantu abayizigidi eziyi-3.5 futhi lwaguqisa umhlaba jikelele.

Lowo mbuzo usuya ngokuya ungaqiniseki selokhu leli gciwane laqala ukunakwa ngumphakathi.

Ukuthelelana kokuqala okwaqinisekiswa kwe-Covid-19 kwaqala mhla ziyisishiyagalolunye kuZibandlela ngowezi-2019 e-Wuhan, e-China. Kodwa isiguli esiwu-zero, umuntu wokuqala ukutheleleka nge-Covid-19, namanje akaziwa. Futhi abanye ososayensi bacabanga ukuthi abantu kungenzeka ukuthi batheleleka ngayo ekuqaleni kukaMandulo.

Ngonyaka odlule, bekucatshangwa ukuthi leli gciwane livela emakethe yokudla kwasolwandle e-Wuhan.

Ngokwalo mbono, leli gciwane ladluliselwa lisuka kwilulwane laya kwesinye isilwane esingaziwa labe selidluliselwa kumuntu.

Kodwa-ke, uMengameli waseMelika uJoe Biden ubhekane nokungabaza okukhulayo okuzungeze lo mbono ngoLwesithathu, lapho eyalela ukuthi kuphenywe kabusha ngemvelaphi ye-Covid-19.

Ngokwesitatimende sakhe, isibalo esikhulu sezikhulu zaseMelika manje zikholelwa ekutheni leli gciwane empeleni livele elabhorethri e-Wuhan, okungenzeka ukuthi laputshuka.

Umbono wavela okokuqala ngoMbasa ngowezi-2020, lapho amathelegramu oMnyango Wezwe LaseMelika evela obala ekhombisa ukuthi izikhulu zamanxusa ase-China zazikhathazekile ngokuvikeleka kwe-biosecurity e-lab lase-Wuhan.

Ekuqaleni, imithombo yezindaba ejwayelekile iyichaze kabanzi njengenganekwane yozungu, ikakhulu ngoba ilungelo langakwesokudla beliyicindezela njengengxenye yokucwaninga e-China.

Kodwa-ke, izikhulu zezobunhloli zaseMelika zisanda kubika ukuthi abasebenzi abathathu base-Wuhan lab bangeniswa esibhedlela ngoLwezi ngowezi-2019, amasonto ambalwa ngaphambi kokutholakala kokutheleleka lokuqala okusemthethweni kwe-Covid-19.

Uhulumeni wase-China uzichithile ngokunamandla izinsolo zokuputshuka kwegciwane.

Inxusa lakhona eMelika ngoLwesine lithe: “Imikhankaso kaSmear nokusolwa okushintshanayo kubuyela emuva, kanti nombono wozungu othi ‘igciwane laphutshuka e-lab’ uqala kabusha.”

Uphenyo olwenziwe ngasekuqaleni konyaka yi-World Health Organisation lwaphetha ngokuthi “akunakwenzeka neze” ukuthi leli gciwane laqhamuka e-lab.

Kodwa-ke, kuye kwabikwa ukuthi ososayensi abaningi abenza lolu phenyo babenomuzwa wokuthi imininingwane ebalulekile ibanjwe iziphathimandla zase-China. Babona sengathi umsebenzi wabo ushiywe ungaqediwe.

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