Surviving the Coronavirus Crisis Lockdown
2 April 2020
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By Paul Mugari & Dr Masimba Mavaza | Some tips

A severe acute respiratory disease which emerged in Wuhan, China in December 2019 has become the world wide pandemic which has brought the world to its knees. It infects the lungs of its sufferer and causes pain, suffering or even death. The World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared this coronavirus & epidemic as a public health emergency of international concern and most countries in the world have declared a national disaster. The coronavirus has also spread to African countries and many African states have taken some measures to suppress coronavirus in an effort to stamp out the disease. This disease (COVID-19), can be impossible to control in countries with crowded informal settlements and fragile health systems. The major reason why Africa has the lowest number of the infected is because they do not have the test kit.

Some African governments have led the way in taking action. Ghana, Kenya and Rwanda, announced school closures, bans on social gatherings and travel restrictions despite having recorded only a handful of cases. This is the same action which the Zimbabwe government has likewise taken and announced. Zimbabwe’s President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, has announced the lockdown which started from Monday in an effort to control the spread of coronavirus. The embattled opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa, usually a strident critic of the government has supported this move. Advocate Chamisa has written in his twitter account, “Politics aside, we must unite to save lives”. He is very right, this is a time to unite against a common enemy which can wipe us all out regardless of political affiliation. Professor Johnathan Moyo, one of president Mnangagwa’s fiercest critics, has also agreed with the government on this move. Developments like this teach us all one very important lesson; who the real enemy is.

The fact that the two leaders of the mainstream political parties have agreed on the need for action to combat the coronavirus spreading shows us that this is a serious matter. It is therefore very important that we all weigh-in and do our best to fight this one common enemy which does not discriminate. It will infect the rich or poor, young or the old, the educated or the uneducated, and it seeks to touch all social classes. In the United Kingdom, for instance, the Honourable Prime Minister, Mr Boris Johnson, was reported to have tested positive for coronavirus and is self-isolating. This is something that our leaders can reflect on the fact that no one is safe, and therefore there has never been a better time to unite as country in good faith, and build a strong team against the coronavirus. Best efforts to unite us must be attempted at a time like this. Unity is indeed our first line of defence. We must understand that fighting coronavirus is fighting death, and therefore a good and legitimate fight must be wedged. Unity has countless advantages in this fight: we can put resources together, we can mobilise our people much better, there will be no one throwing spanners on the way there is definitely no Jecha in the fight against Corona virus. One might note the unity often displayed at funerals even of political opponents, and one wonders if that unity cannot be invoked at times like these when death is everywhere.

Perhaps let’s mention the figures and statics. The wolrdometer most recent publication reports of 902,350 infected people with over 45 000 deaths worldwide. These numbers are rising fast. The number of those who have been infected and recovered stands at 190 632. These figures are very frightening but encouraging. There are some recoveries, and we can only hope and pray that out of the huge numbers of those infected, there can only be recoveries. But this can only be possible if we pull together. If everyone does their part. Some have very high level responsibilities, whilst others might simply just have to stay at home and employ high hygiene standards, whilst others will be on the frontline fighting the infections in health centres in different capacities and others will be on the streets monitoring the lockdown. In all these efforts and tasks we must not forget who the real enemy is. The enemy is a tiny invisible creature which has got: the security forces out in full force, the people back in their homes, healthcare workers out at healthcare centres, businesses shut and high level meetings and briefings constantly coming. This is not your common simple enemy by any means, and likewise requires no common fight.
We must not lose focus when we engage each other in streets of crowded communities, in the hospital wards and corridors or in the very high level meetings and press briefings. We must not see each other as the enemy. The reason for this is simple: we could all soon be a statistic. We could all soon be sick or dead. It is not the time for conspiracies, misinformation or mischief on social media platforms.

We are all at risk. Italy has recorded the highest number of over 900 deaths in a day, followed by Spain and the UK. The UK has recorded the first world leader to contract the coronavirus. The question is what will Zimbabwe be? And that answer is in our hands.
Our country is therefore in a lockdown, and the government has rolled out the security forces to enforce these measures. Security forces will be used to ensure that the lockdown is enforced. They have their order to make sure that no one is out when they shouldn’t. However, both the security forces and the people in our streets should understand who the enemy is in this exercise. It’s a virus which is not possible to see through the naked eye. It is very important that this message is driven home. This is key to surviving the lockdown. Several news agents have carried out interviews with the people in the streets before the lockdown began on Monday. Our people are worried about loss to their incomes, some do not have enough food supplies, others live in very crowded environments, whilst others are generally scared of seeing the uniformed forced in the streets. Some of the people have the fear of the unknown, death and diseases to them and their loved ones. In short, a significant number of our people are petrified and anxious. There is no need to increase the trauma which the people are already going through.
The president has today spoken about the job of the security forces during the 21 day lockdown; to help, to protect and to keep us all safe. This message is re-assuring and must be the theme in the minds of the men and women of security forces. In some countries we often see images of strong service men and women helping some members of the public with lifting heavy items, and often help rescuing the trapped. This is how we can fight this virus in unity. Attitudes must change and friendly exchanges and cooperation must be the focus of our efforts. The current lockdown has therefore become necessary and we must all make it work, and fight the common enemy.
But, there is some good and hope for Zimbabwe before we look at some actual tips of surviving this lockdown. The number of new cases in China has plummeted dramatically. The saying goes “what man does man can do”. Zimbabwe can learn from Beijing, how they managed to contain the situation. After all there is a close relationship between Harare and Beijing. This should be good news for Zimbabwe. What did China do in its fight against the coronavirus? First, is what has been termed a “strict social distancing”? This simply means abandoning close contact among citizens and avoiding hugs and handshakes. Keeping a distance of at least 2 metres from each other. Some reports have attributed the slow spread of the coronavirus in some African countries to this measure. China also imposed more than a month of city-wide lockdowns of Wuhan and surrounding areas, extensive public monitoring of citizens, as well as various methods of punishment and rewards to encourage adherence to such measures. Most of these measures have also been implemented in Zimbabwe, therefore we should expect a positive result. God has in deed blessed every action with a corresponding effect.

Again, this is why the lockdown is in place.

Another good news and hope, is that Zimbabwe’s warmer climate could be an advantage against the coronavirus. Earlier studies suggested that warmer weather could stymie or kill the virus. Another recent study was carried out by healthcare profession in the USA regards the use the known vaccination, (BCG). This study compared countries that never had in place a universal BCG vaccination policy with countries that have a current universal BCG vaccination policy, like Zimbabwe. The study concluded that there is evidence that BCG vaccination is correlated with reduced mortality rates produced by COVID-19. This means things could work in favour of Zimbabwe in this this fight, we have an added advantage over the enemy. Therefore we can face the enemy with renewed strength and confidence.

Therefore let’s share some tips of things to do during the current lockdown. Children are home, workers and traders are also home, businesses are closed and events and religious meetings are cancelled. There is no Sabbath school class for the teacher of teachers, he has to stay home this weekend. Is it a time to reflect on freedom and the religious gatherings we often take for granted? Could this be the time to reflect on the imposition of a lockdown to protect citizens from an invisible danger (the tiny virus)? And to see the need for the laws of God in protecting His people from an invisible enemy whispers. Or shall we leave this a discussion on the religious platforms?

Any case, we are going to need some creativity homes in order to survive. It is going to be important to be creative and to create new routines in the house, and work towards being in control of the situation. Let’s tell the current situation who is boss in the home. It is very important not to self-pity and feel like “everything is been thrown at me” attitude. On the contrary it’s a time to think about activities to do. Some have suggested some useful activities that are often overlooked, like deep cleaning the house and re organising furniture and cabinets, moving furniture around in one room and cleaning some areas. Other have suggested cleaning the car, organising family meals and recipes, keeping in touch with family and friends and so on.

The internet is full of brilliant ideas, we just need to try them. One thing the government could do is to liaise with internet providers and provide reduced or free internet to those who need it. This would be a very useful gesture and a way to reach out. At times like these the people need to get in touch with their families and friends. One of the election campaigns by the opposition leader was the provision of free internet to everyone. This shows that it’s doable. When the people have some things to do they will stay inside and it can potentially be less confrontations with security forces in the streets, less drama, and in deed less chances of cross infection. Internet access and its responsible use can mean children can do some schoolwork online and can keep the adults occupied with further reading, researching, organising emails and other work related issues. This can also mean some entertainment, of course for some families as they can watch various programmes online.
Another tip to survive this lockdown is a good old simple book reading. Reading a book can do wonders and has often been seen as a characteristic of successful people. There are many benefits of reading a book and they multiply according to the type of book in one’s hand. For starters, it’s an activity which doesn’t need anyone else, which means one is enough for the fun.  Books can hold and keep all kinds of information, stories, thoughts and feelings unlike anything else in this world. Can words, paragraphs, and reading fiction be all that great for you and your health? Yes. It definitely can, and it is a timeless form of entertainment and information. There are countless benefits from reading; like improved mental health, fighting depression, improved memory, better conversations, and confidence and so on.

In conclusion, there are so countless tips on surviving the current lockdown. Key to this survival is understanding the nature of the enemy we are fighting and the reason we are doing what we are doing. This should be engraved in the hearts and minds of the people, the security forces and the leaders of the various bodies concerned. Zimbabwe has what it takes to supress the enemy, the coronavirus disease spread, but we have our own challenges. The economic challenges and the government tight budget, the high youth unemployment and a fragile health system can allow the enemy to take root, and then can be impossible to stamp out. Obeying the government lockdown rules is not enough, we all need to make the fight against coronavirus work. We all need to take the necessary tips to survive this lockdown. We all need to protect ourselves and our loved ones.
Each country is looking out for its own. So We as a people we need to look out for our own and for another.

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