Stay at home, avoid quackery

Elliott Siamonga

The world is anxiously wondering when the Covid-19 pandemic will end.

Many view television news reports of new infections and deaths and worry about when the virus will show up in their homes or towns. There already have been reports of people stocking up on flu medications, just in case. Others have also turned to some remedies which they think can reduce the severity of infections in the unfortunate case they contract the virus, but with what effects?

Although we can be thankful for the remarkable achievements in disease prevention and amelioration without which this would clearly have been a different and dangerous world, our quest for solutions to various diseases including Covid-19 needs to move forward on a personal level as well.

To that end, we would do well to take heed of the law that we need to stay at home, self-quarantine if we are infected, practise good hygiene and above all indulge on the wisdom found in the Bible.

In the numerous discussions of diseases and the steps that can be taken to minimise our risk of infection, most people ignore the age old wisdom revealed in the Bible.

There we find that God gave instructions to the ancient nation of Israel to help them avoid the diseases and plagues of their day.

The advice he gave them is no less applicable to this day.

In Moses’ writings, for example we find orders to quarantine those suspected of infectious diseases. Before there were effective medical means of intervention, quarantine was and of course still a vitally important means of combating the spread of contagions.

These laws are widely acknowledged today as having value in preventing disease and illness. Similarly, Biblical laws of hygiene are critical in controlling the spread of disease. Even those diseases will not be completely brought under control until there are things we can do now to help curb their spread. Modern science has made spectacular advances in dealing with many infectious diseases, but for now the coronavirus has left a void in the research for a possible cure.

Thousands of deaths from Covid-19 which originated in Wuhan in China and later declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO) early February this year has caused so much impact across the world. The pandemic has had negative effects on social lives and economies.

The pandemic is real and governments are taking drastic measures to curb its spread through encouraging social distancing, washing of hands using soap and sanitisers, imposing lockdowns and quarantining.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared the 21-day national lockdown that ended on Sunday. He extended it by two weeks. Under the order every individual must stay at home and may not leave there except temporarily for the purposes, of “buying basic necessities at a supermarket or food retail store, or fuel or gas at a fuel or gas retail outlet.”

Although most people have observed the lockdown by staying indoors there are some who are finding it difficult to stay home and still cannot believe the disease can affect them.

Among them are beer drinkers who have formed small clubs in shebeens or in the bush where they drink at night in the so-called ‘Corona Parties’ in total disregard of social distancing and the national lockdown.

They claim that drinking lots of spirits in the form of brandy and whiskies can slow the process of getting infected. They argue that if one drinks alcohol they are not easily affected by flu.

Some vendors and informal traders, hardest hit by the lockdown, have resorted to selling their wares at home, this again in disregard of the social distancing rules. Some faith and traditional healers are hoodwinking unsuspecting people into believing that they can help cure the disease.

A recent survey showed that members of some apostolic sects do not believe that they can be afflicted by pandemics such as HIV, malaria and other diseases as they believe in the power of prayers.

They are giving people ‘holy water’ mixed with raw eggs and milk and in some cases honey and lemons. People are made to bath in water with small pebbles three times a day to “prevent” infection.

Leaders of some sects claim they prophesied the coming of the Covid-19 pandemic and have taken the “necessary” precautionary measures for their congregants and their families.

There are also cases where people drink herbal concoctions as well as the smoking of marijuana to “prevent” infection.

In Binga, the Ba Tonga, known for their traditional way of life and prowess in traditional medicines, elephant dung is put in hot spring water and the mixture is boiled.

A person then inhales the steam from the concoction. The remainder of the water is drunk while very hot like tea.

There are also reports of people who are washed in steam baths with hot stones and other methods of “treatment.”

However, health officials led by WHO have stressed that there is no cure for Covid-19 yet.

The “cure” is staying at home to avoid contracting or, for the infected, to avoid spreading the disease. Practising good hygiene and social distancing are being encouraged too. Everyone of us must just adhere to these guidelines and stop trying what some think are remedies. If we do that, we stand a good chance of containing this outbreak.