By Elizabeth Sitotombe

THE country is recording less than a thousand new COVID-19 cases compared to the month of July when the country was recording over two thousand cases per day. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has been around for over a year and a half now; each wave being more brutal than the last.

It has been a roller coaster of fear, frustration and anger. No-one knows what tomorrow holds — whether life will get back to the normal we were used to or be forced to dance to the pandemic’s tune

The Third Wave has been nothing short of brutal in Zimbabwe. 

The month of July was the worst for the country ever since the emergence of COVID-19. Infections and deaths doubled that of the First and Second Wave put together. 

Many households found themselves short of one or more family members as the virus left, and is still leaving, a deadly trail of destruction. 

This time around, even the younger and healthier groups, less affected in the last two waves, have not been spared.

Pregnant women have also been greatly affected during the Third Wave. 

Last week alone, more than 100 pregnant women tested positive for the virus in Matabeleland North. 

Since March 2020, the country recorded 49  864  cases and 1 789 deaths by June 30. 

But by July 30 this year, the country had recorded 107 490 cases and 3 490 deaths. 

According to WHO, COVID-19 cases in Africa rose rapidly over the past month as fatalities surged by 80 percent within the last four weeks. 

The most new deaths in the last 28 days were reported from Southern Africa, which accounted for 64 percent of the burgeoning death rate with 16 019 while North Africa accounted for 24 percent, with 6 036 deaths.  

Both sub-regions accounted for 88 percent of reported deaths in the past month, said WHO’s vaccine introduction officer for the African region Phionah Atuhubwe.

The Delta variant, which has fueled the surge in Coronavirus cases in the world, is said to be very transmissible and spreads as easily as chicken pox.

The variant appears to cause more severe illness as well. 

This is worrisome as this shows that the virus itself is mutating and it’s likely that more dangerous and savage variants will continue to emerge.

Already there is talk of a Fourth Wave, before the Third Wave has even ended. 

The Fourth Wave of infections is expected toward the end of the year. 

The chains of transmission need to be broken as a matter of urgency. 

Public health measures do work in minimising the infection rate. 

Keeping at least one metre distances from others, sanitising and washing hands regularly, avoiding crowded and enclosed spaces will help in this mortal combat. 

Health physicians have expressed concern over the lack of social distancing at vaccination centres and believe that some may be contracting the virus there

How we handle ourselves now will determine how we will fare then. 

Getting vaccinated also gives us a higher fighting chance. 

The good news is that all the WHO approved COVID-19 vaccines provide strong protection against the existing variants. 

A vaccinated person may catch the virus but the vaccines protect against the severity of illness. 

Vaccines are meant to reduce one’s risk of getting a disease by working with the body’s natural defences to build protection. So when the disease strikes, your body remembers the disease and how to fight it; so one can fight it before becoming unwell. 

As of July 22 2021, community deaths, by vaccination status, in Zimbabwe showed that 88,9 percent of deaths were from unvaccinated people. 

Vaccination among pregnant women has been low. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is no evidence that vaccines cause maternal or foetal harm. Women must get vaccinated if there are no complications as it will protect them and the babies. 

In Zimbabwe there are no restrictions on breastfeeding and pregnant women, therefore they can be vaccinated after consulting their doctors.

The chief co-ordinator of the National Response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Dr Agnes Mahomva, said WHO had given the guidelines and noted that the COVID-19 vaccines were safe for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. 

We cannot afford to relax at this point. 

We need to do all we can to stop virus transmission. 

 As of eight August, Zimbabwe recorded 437 infections and 74 deaths.

The number of deaths remains unpleasantly high. 

Because of that, His Excellency President Emerson Mnangagwa, announced that Zimbabwe would remain in Level Four lockdown protocols for another two weeks.