Candid Covid Conversations(CCC)

Welcome to Candid Covid Conversations. This is Day 31 of the lockdown 2021. South Africa has not started vaccinations yet.It will take 2weeks to sort out logistical problems and testing the vaccinet to verify efficacy levels.We hope that during this interval there will be no electricity load shedding a phenomenon that we are likely to face when we receive ours. My point is Should all these processes not have been done earlier so that as soon as the vaccine arrives it is distributed and put into the arms of frontline staff.Surely this delay for a mutating virus could render the vaccines ineffective as they are not made for the new variants.We need to order and vaccinate immediately otherwise you end up buying ineffective vaccines.One expert however says that these vaccines on the market now are effective if applied immediately but are also easier to repurpose for any other variant. So we must learn from the South African experience and start planning and putting in place those structures.More for us because we know how dysfunctional some of our facilities and unreliable our electricity is.. The UK is conducting 80000 tests in one area where they suspect the S.A. variant is.The idea is to isolate those with this variant, give them the right vaccine and try and eliminate this variant now.So far they have vaccinated 10 million since January a figure that is the magical one for Zimbabwe. South Africa's target is 40million by November. I also want to touch on the practicalities of non vaccination as we are being told vaccination is voluntary.I am questioning this so called voluntary.My understanding is that if you are going to travel to any country the least you must provide is a Negative Covid Test result.With this you will however be quarantined at destination for an average 10 days at your own expense.However if you have a vaccination certificate (Is this issued upon vaccination I wonder) you will have free passage.This is just for travel. I am not sure about all the other facilities etc.So therefore the voluntary nature can only apply to your locality and not in the global village.We have yet to see if our students /job seekers etc will be allowed without vaccinations. On another note a 100 year war veteran Captain Thomas Moore died of Covid complications in the UK yesterday. What sets this man apart is that in celebrating his 100 years he decided to walk 100 laps in his garden in order to raise 1500 dollars to donate to Covid frontline workers.He ended up raising 43million dollars that went to this cause.The queen came out during Covid to give him a knighthood for his selflessness. Yesterday the Prime Minister described him as a true hero in every sense of the word.We have many such great men and women in this country.We have lost medical doctors nurses frontline workers funeral parlour people etc who have died in the line of duty.We have also lost thise who were attending to the sick.The names of these heroes have not been mentioned. Yesterday i learnt about the death of a prominent surgeon who passed on. He got Covid from a patient he was operating on.He knew but still went on to operate.This is heroism,The ultimate sacrifice. May the soul's of all those who have died rest in eternal piece.May we the living remember and honour these heroes.This also begs the wuestion about us as a nation.Do we have a system of honouring our people whobare not politicians.Do we have a roll call for our heroes Cobid and other causes. Let us learn to live with this virus.As people of God we shall prevail.Let us remember always to exercise meditate wash our hands sanitise keep away from crowds and wear our masks properly.It is darkest before dawn and remember this cup shall pass.Good morning and God Bless