Opinion / Columnist
Zimbabwe will pay dearly for super low covid-19 cases; vaccine cut to match, 5.2%
13 Dec 2020 at 23:01hrs | Views
There is such a wide discrepancy between Zimbabwe and SA's official covid-19 cases and deaths.
Zimbabwe has 11 162 cases and 306 deaths compared to SA's 845 083 cases and 22 952 deaths. Given the heavy human traffic between the two countries one expected Zimbabwe's figures to be roughly 1/4 those of SA given our population is in the same ratio.
The reason for the discrepancy is immediately obvious when one looks at the number of corona virus tests, 44 074 tests per day for SA. Adjusting to match population size, Zimbabwe should be doing 11 000 or so tests but is doing only 1 577 tests per day or 14.3%.
The penalty for not carrying out as many tests as one should is that many people with the virus are missed out. And so many people who should otherwise be in isolation continue mixing with the rest of the population, spreading the virus.
Failing to correctly identify corona virus deaths will also result in the spread of the virus since the strict burial protocol will not be followed.
There is a scrabble for the vaccine and poor countries like Zimbabwe depending on donated vaccine will be among the last ones to get it. UK was the first country to get the Pfizer vaccine but it will be a year or more before Zimbabwe gets enough to vaccinate the at high risk group. It will be two years or more before it gets enough to vaccinate the whole population.
The amount of vaccine Zimbabwe will get for the high risk group and then the general population will be based of the OFFICIAL reported cases 11 162 which are 5.2% of the 211 000 cases or 1/4 of SA.
So by failing to carry out the covid-19 tests as diligently as SA Zimbabwe has missed out as much as 85.7% of the cases, people who should have been in isolation but instead have been spreading the virus. What is more, the country's very low official cases and deaths have put the country in the at low risk category and will be treated accordingly. If the official figures are 5.2% of what the real figures are then we will get 94.8% of the vaccine and other assistance we should.
There is no doubt that this Zanu PF government is pleased the country has one of the lowest covid-19 cases and death in the world. The country is certainly paying dearly for the lie with human suffering and lives and it is not even worth a farthing!
Zimbabwe has 11 162 cases and 306 deaths compared to SA's 845 083 cases and 22 952 deaths. Given the heavy human traffic between the two countries one expected Zimbabwe's figures to be roughly 1/4 those of SA given our population is in the same ratio.
The reason for the discrepancy is immediately obvious when one looks at the number of corona virus tests, 44 074 tests per day for SA. Adjusting to match population size, Zimbabwe should be doing 11 000 or so tests but is doing only 1 577 tests per day or 14.3%.
The penalty for not carrying out as many tests as one should is that many people with the virus are missed out. And so many people who should otherwise be in isolation continue mixing with the rest of the population, spreading the virus.
Failing to correctly identify corona virus deaths will also result in the spread of the virus since the strict burial protocol will not be followed.
There is a scrabble for the vaccine and poor countries like Zimbabwe depending on donated vaccine will be among the last ones to get it. UK was the first country to get the Pfizer vaccine but it will be a year or more before Zimbabwe gets enough to vaccinate the at high risk group. It will be two years or more before it gets enough to vaccinate the whole population.
The amount of vaccine Zimbabwe will get for the high risk group and then the general population will be based of the OFFICIAL reported cases 11 162 which are 5.2% of the 211 000 cases or 1/4 of SA.
So by failing to carry out the covid-19 tests as diligently as SA Zimbabwe has missed out as much as 85.7% of the cases, people who should have been in isolation but instead have been spreading the virus. What is more, the country's very low official cases and deaths have put the country in the at low risk category and will be treated accordingly. If the official figures are 5.2% of what the real figures are then we will get 94.8% of the vaccine and other assistance we should.
There is no doubt that this Zanu PF government is pleased the country has one of the lowest covid-19 cases and death in the world. The country is certainly paying dearly for the lie with human suffering and lives and it is not even worth a farthing!
Source - zimbabwelight.blogspot.com
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