By Ezra Tshisa Tshisa Sibanda|To suggest Highlanders player Prince Dube is under surveillance for coronavirus disease because he was in China recently is misplaced and laughable. Prince Dube has been in the country for a while now after his trial stint at a Chinese Team located over 700 Kms from Wuhan, the Coronavirus origination point. He was never prone to the disease which broke out after he had left China.

The reports about Highlanders superstar being on surveillance has left Prince being prone to name calling, abuse and causing unnecessary panic especially to his team mates and instilled fear amongst his family, friends and supporters of this great club. Definition of the word surveillance is very clear. It means close observation, especially of a suspected spy or criminal. How & why is that process “done” on Prince Dube yet he is not of interest to anybody. If anyone suspected he might be infected with this deadly disease, they should have done blood tests on him at the airport, checked symptoms if indeed they suspected him, then isolate him for at least 3 days to MONITOR him and others from China. Suspected people are closely monitored and isolated by health professionals and no surveillance is unleashed on them because following someone cant stop infection spreading.

The health official who “confirmed”, if indeed he did, that Prince was on surveillance is a shame to the Health Profession and Ministry. He should have said the Ministry is monitoring the virus on people who recently returned from China just like other countries are doing. No trained person, professional or doctor would mention, let alone confirm any health doubts or illness of anybody to 3rd parties or to the press. This was reckless from ministry official and those who believe in that official. Leave Prince Dube from unnecessary gossip and pressure. The boy wants to play his football and concentrate on winning things with Highlanders FC.

Lets not lie to the public, no one can see the disease with a naked eye, not even those torches used at the airports, whatever you call them can detect the virus.
There are more than 17,000 confirmed cases of
the virus in China. Some 361 people have died
in the mainland alone. Outside China, there are more than 150 confirmed cases of the virus and one death, in the Philippines. No reports from Zim Government indicating any one infected or any victims that have died from the disease.