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www.thevillagenews.co.za
11 March 2020
Who’s afraid of the big bad virus? Writer Elaine Davie
may be nature’s way of fighting back.
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In the meantime, we have been advised by everybody from the President to medical practitioners on the ground, to remain calm and simply to take sensible precautions. We have also been told by the Western Cape Department of Health that it has world-class systems and facilities in place, which have been tried and tested in the past, and it is doing everything possible to ensure that it is prepared for any scenario, with contact tracing teams trained and ready to respond when required.
lthough the Coronavirus or COVID-19 was first identified in Wuhan, China in December 2019, in the past couple of months it has spread at an escalating tempo to between 80 and 90 countries around the world. While, at first, the World Health Organisation (WHO) was reluctant to label it a pandemic, it has now done so. And with every passing day, as the number of infections climbed, the level of panic, fanned by social media and misleading information, took on increasingly hysterical proportions. However, we need to keep things in perspective. While it is undoubtedly a highly infectious strain of influenza, it is not a biblical plague. In fact, medical experts seem to agree that it is not, at this stage, as virulent as previous respiratory epidemics such as SARS or MERS; or, indeed, ebola or tuberculosis – even plain old everyday flu. Actually, the mortality rate of COVID -19 is comparatively low. By the end of last week over 100 000 cases had been confirmed worldwide, but only about 3 500 patients had died and these were mostly from amongst particularly vulnerable groups, like the elderly or patients with existing medical conditions, who succumbed to a resistant form of pneumonia. Another reality check: At the time of going to press, seven people in South Africa had been confirmed as positive. That’s seven positive – not dead – out of a population of over 50 million South Africans. (And how many people are murdered in this country every day, or killed on the roads?) When it has finally played itself out, analysts will probably conclude that the greatest victims were global trade and the international economy, which is already showing signs of morbidity. And because it’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good, we may see a decrease in or even a total cessation of illegal trading in wild animals from Africa, since that seems to have been the source of the disease in the first place. This
COVID-19 is spread in droplets. Sneezing and coughing may disperse the droplets directly from an infected person to the mucous membranes of another person (nose or eyes), or they may be picked up from a surface, like a table or a handrail or a seat. However, while we should remain aware of the latter possibility, obsessively wiping every surface in sight with a sanitiser, or abandoning the use of cash is simply one step too far. Another completely fallacious belief is that by wearing a face mask you can protect yourself from any droplets that might be flying around in the atmosphere. (In any case, even if you wanted to buy one, you would be hard pressed to find anything but empty shelves.) As it is, masks are only effective in preventing you from spreading the infection to others by sneezing or coughing, not the other way round. So what can you do to protect yourself and others from the virus? Here are a few dos and don’ts: • Wash your hands often with soap and water • Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands (easier said than done) • Avoid close physical contact with people who are sick • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throw it away • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces • If you are mildly sick, keep yourself hydrated, stay at home and rest • If you develop symptoms of respiratory illness including cough, fever and shortness of breath
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within 14 days of travel to countries where the virus is known to be circulating, seek medical advice and care (the Western Cape Department of Health states that all medical practitioners, public or private, are fully prepared to conduct the test and treat the illness – the National Institute for Communicable Diseases is the only organisation that can analyse and confirm the presence of COVID-19) Avoid large crowds If you suspect you may have contracted COVID-19, contact a medical practitioner immediately, but do not sit in a crowded hospital, clinic, or surgery waiting room, potentially infecting other patients
Criteria for seeking medical intervention: • Acute respiratory illness with a sudden onset of at least one of the following: cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, fever (over 380C). • In the 14 days prior to onset of symptoms you were in contact with a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19 infection • You have recently travelled to countries with a severe, active presence of the virus, eg mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Italy, Iran, etc • You are admitted to hospital with severe pneumonia of unknown origin. Remember this infection is caused by a virus, for which there is currently no preventive vaccine. It is not a bacterial disease, and antibiotic treatment will therefore not be effective, unless there is a secondary infection. And finally, please take note that if you haven’t been travelling or had close contact with anyone with a known infection, your chances of contracting the virus are VERY LOW. For more information, contact the helpline 0800 029 999 or visit westerncape.gov.za/department-of-health/coronavirus
Camphill hosts international conference The two Camphill Communities in Hermanus – Camphill School (established in 1952) and Camphill Farm Community (established in 1978) – are excited to announce that they have been selected as hosts of the International Camphill Dialogue 2020 Conference, taking place from 16 to 20 March 2020. This five-day conference (last hosted in Hermanus in 2005) will be attended by delegates from Camphills all around the world, the focus of which will be on Camphill values, specifically on how they are being implemented in the various international Camphill Communities today. One of the keynote speakers at the conference will be Christo Brand, who was Nelson Mandela’s warder during his incarceration both on Robben Island and at Pollsmoor prison in Cape Town. Christo’s values mirror those of Camphill in many ways, such as the fundamentals of respecting and accepting each human being, regardless of race, culture, political persuasion, sexual orientation or (dis) ability. Camphill, an international movement, is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. Camphill was established in Aberdeen, Scotland, to work with those in need of special care and continues to provide for the educational and social needs of children and adults with a diverse range of disabilities.
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The essence of Camphill is to provide an environment and way of life where children, young people and adults diagnosed with a learning or intellectual disability, can live and work together in a mutually supportive and safe community environment. Today, the worldwide Camphill Movement comprises in excess of 5 000 people, living and working together in over 100 Camphill Communities or settings, in 20 countries around the world Whilst members of the worldwide Camphill Movement operate independently, they all share a common ethos and values, an example of which is associative working. In an effort to continuously improve on how they work with those they care for and support, there are various forums and gatherings of Camphills around the world, at which knowledge and experiences are shared. The three-yearly Dialogue Conference is an example of such a gathering. For more information about the Camphill Dialogue Conference, contact either Jeanne-Marié Botha (Camphill School Hermanus principal) or Sam Hodson (executive manager of Camphill Farm Community Hermanus) via email: dialogue2020@camphill-hermanus.org.za. You can also find out more information about the 2020 conference on: https://camphilldialogue.org/
