Iviki Likazwelonke Lokugonyelwa Umkhuhlane
Yileso sikhathi sonyaka futhi. Amaqabunga awile, umoya upholile, futhi njengoba ngibhala lokhu, ama-intshi ayisithupha eqhwa anqwabelene egcekeni lami. Kwabaningi, ukushintsha kwezinkathi zonyaka kwamukelwa ngokulangazela ngemva kokushisa kwehlobo elide. Ekugcineni singagqoka izendlalelo futhi senze amasobho futhi sithokomele ngaphakathi ngencwadi enhle. Ngazo zonke izinjabulo ezilula zasebusika baseColorado, lesi sikhathi sonyaka siphinde sibonisa ukuqala kwenkathi yomkhuhlane.
Lapho ikwindla sekuqala ukuphenduka futhi amaqabunga eqala ukushintsha asuka eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka abe aphuzi abebomvu, amakhemisi namahhovisi odokotela aqala ukukhangisa ngezithombe zomkhuhlane futhi esikhuthaza ukuthi sithole imigomo yethu yaminyaka yonke. Njengezinsuku ezimfishane kanye nobusuku obubandayo, lokhu kuyinto esiyilindele ngokushintsha kwezinkathi zonyaka. Futhi nakuba ukudutshulwa komkhuhlane kungase kungabi yilokho esikubheke ngabomvu kakhulu mayelana nekwindla noma ubusika, ikhono lokuvimbela nokulawula umthelela wenkathi ethile yomkhuhlane akuyona into emfushane empumelelweni yezempilo yomphakathi.
Isizini yomkhuhlane ayisiyintsha kithina. Eqinisweni, igciwane lomkhuhlane selizungeza imbulunga amakhulu eminyaka manje. Kunjalo, abaningi bethu bajwayelene kakhulu nobhubhane lomkhuhlane we-H1N1 lwango-1918, okulinganiselwa ukuthi lwathelela abantu abayizigidi ezingama-500 futhi lwabangela ukufa kwabantu abaningi kunayo yonke iMpi Yezwe I.1 Ngokujabulisayo, ngemva kweminyaka yocwaningo, igciwane lomkhuhlane elizimele laholela ekugomeni umkhuhlane wokuqala owawungasebenzi ngawo-1940.1 Kanye nokuthuthukiswa komgomo wokugomela umkhuhlane kwafika uhlelo lokuqala lokuhlola umkhuhlane olusetshenziselwa ukulindela izinguquko egciwaneni lomkhuhlane lonyaka.2
Njengoba sazi manje, amagciwane athambekele ekuguqukeni okusho ukuthi imithi yokugoma kufanele iguqulelwe ukulwa nezinhlobo ezintsha zegciwane eliguquliwe. Namuhla, kunodokotela bezifo ezithathelwanayo emhlabeni wonke abasebenza ngokuphelele ekuqondeni ukuthi yiziphi izinhlobo zomkhuhlane ezingase zivele ngesikhathi somkhuhlane othile. Imithi yethu yokugomela umkhuhlane yaminyaka yonke ivamise ukuvikela ezinhlotsheni ezintathu kuya kwezine zegciwane lomkhuhlane, ngethemba lokunciphisa ukutheleleka ngangokunokwenzeka.2 Ekuqaleni kwawo-2000, iKomidi Lokweluleka Ngemikhuba Yokugoma (ACIP) laqala ukuncoma ukuthi wonke umuntu onezinyanga eziyisi-6 nangaphezulu athole umgomo wonyaka womkhuhlane.3
Ngibonga ngendlela emangalisayo ngeminyaka yocwaningo kanye nokutholwa kwesayensi okuholele ekugomeni umkhuhlane otholakala esidlangalaleni. Cishe cishe izingxenye ezimbili kwezintathu zempilo yami, ngibe nenhlanhla yokukwazi ukuya ekhemisi langakithi futhi ngigonywe. Nokho, ngiyakuzonda ukuvuma ukuthi cishe eminyakeni emihlanu edlule ngadebeselela ukuthola isibhamu sami somkhuhlane waminyaka yonke ngokokuqala ngqa. Umsebenzi wawumatasa, ngangihamba kakhulu, ngakho, inyanga nenyanga, ngangihlehlisa ukugoma. Lapho uMashi walowo nyaka eqala, ngacabanga ngathi, “Phela, ngidlule enkathini yomkhuhlane ngaphandle kokugula.” Ngazizwa ngicacile ngempela…. indida. Kamuva ngaleyo ntwasahlobo kwabonakala sengathi wonke umuntu ehhovisi lami wayehla ephethwe umkhuhlane, futhi ngenxa yokuthi ngangingavikelekile ngomgomo womkhuhlane ngalowo nyaka, nami ngagula kakhulu. Ngizokuphephisa imininingwane, kodwa akudingekile ukusho ukuthi bengingasebenzi okungenani isonto lonke ngikwazi ukukhipha umhluzi wenkukhu kanye nejusi. Udinga kuphela ukuzwa lelo zinga lokugula kanye ukuze ungaphinde ufune ukuphinde ukuphathe.
Kulo nyaka kubikezelwa ukuthi kuzoba yinkathi yomkhuhlane enzima, ehlanganiswe ukuqhubeka nokuba khona kwamanye amagciwane afana ne-RSV ne-COVID-19. Odokotela bakhuthaza abantu ukuthi bathole imigomo yabo yaminyaka yonke yomkhuhlane njengoba siya emaholidini, futhi yisiphi isikhathi esingcono sokuhlela ukudutshulwa kwakho komkhuhlane kuneVeki Likazwelonke Lokugonyelwa Umkhuhlane (Disemba 5 kuya ku-9, 2022). Sonke sifuna ukujabulela yonke into enikezwa yinkathi yasebusika, sijabulele isikhathi nomndeni nabangane futhi sihlangane nokudla okumnandi nalabo esibathandayo. Ngenhlanhla, kunezinyathelo esingazithatha sonke ukusiza ukuzivikela thina nemiphakathi yethu ekungenweni umkhuhlane. Okokuqala, singagqoka imaski futhi sihlale ekhaya lapho singazizwa kahle, sigeze izandla zethu njalo futhi sibeke phambili ukuphumula okuhle. Futhi okubaluleke kakhulu, singathola umuthi wokugomela umkhuhlane waminyaka yonke, otholakala kumakhemisi amaningi amakhulu, amahhovisi odokotela, kanye neminyango yezempilo yendawo. Ungabhejwa sengikutholile okwami!
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