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4. Traditional healers and COVID-19 in SA.

So in my previous blog post I touched on Covid in the context of Africa and this was in the early days of the pandemic (around May 2020). Since then so much has happened and our knowledge and understanding and experience of Covid has since progressed. So throughout the year I was trying to keep myself preoccupied without subjecting myself to certain triggers but unfortunately I went into further panic mode, had another long period where I was unable to write and so I took a break again from blogging and content creation. In this blog post I will be going back in time to some of the challenges faced in South Africa that became topics of interest for me with the aim of finishing the 21 Conversations series.

During the early and peak days of lockdown in South Africa traditional healers expressed some of the challenges they were facing, challenges which started from the beginning of lockdown. The issues arose when Covid regulations and lockdown (26 March, 2020) were starting to be implemented, whereby health workers were called upon and played a big role in helping to spread awareness around Covid-19. Traditional healers felt they were left out of the conversation and the consultation process. Traditional healers were not initially considered as part of the essential workers which meant they were unable to work for quite some time and therefore unable to treat patients and even emergency cases as we (in general) were not allowed to leave our homes which also meant that even if they tried to help people from home, they ran out of the supplies needed to make the traditional medicines e.g like wild garlic. Their exclusion from conversations and decisions also meant that they were not given access to PPE, sanitizer, soaps etc to assist in their practices which meant that if an emergency situation arose this all had to come out of their own pocket which disadvantaged healers who charge affordable prices. This raised concerns for Traditional healers as a huge part of one's calling teaches practitioners that they can’t leave sick people unattended. There were also early concerns around information and awareness around Covid as traditional healers didn’t receive information resource packs (official information) and had to form whatsapp groups to teach themselves about Covid. They tried to ask the government to provide these (info packs, sanitizers, soaps, masks and other PPE) but to no avail.

This sparked increased engagement between traditional healers and ordinary people and in my opinion resulted in people reflecting on and reconnecting with their cultures and traditional practices whilst interrogating why these practices and beliefs are always presented as secondary to western medicine and science. This period also saw the rise of traditional healers gaining momentum on social media platforms as people searched for alternative ways of boosting their immune system and in general choosing to try out a holistic health approach as opposed to just using western medicine on its own. A holistic approach uses a combination of western and alternative (traditional) medicine whilst addressing the mind, body and soul; not just the body.

As a result, some of the conversations that emerged throughout the year when considering western and traditional medicine, African spirituality, mental and physical health include the following:

When it comes to the environment, many healers shared the same view: that mother nature was sick and was retaliating. Here, many healers noted how the more we ignore environmental damage the more we would start to experience pandemics but it was promising that she was healing when we were mostly all under lockdown resulting in less carbon emissions etc from less travelling and so much more.

When it comes to spirituality and healing when considering how we were all forced to take a pause from our daily lives and reflect; multiple traditional healers echoed the following thoughts: Covid, and more broadly, diseases and viruses are just an example of the way in which our everyday lives are interrupted or disrupted as Africans due to the brutality of systems such as capitalism, racism, patriarchy etc and how these disproportionately affect Africans. This has consequences at times for the ways in which we understand African spirituality and how we present ourselves to the world. Here, healers have advised that it’s necessary for people to continue to pahla and listen to our ancestors. Also because this is a time for reflection, it is important for us to just trust the process and allow ourselves to learn the new and necessary skills we need for navigating our spaces, even once we know how to function post-covid or after lockdowns come to an end. This period was necessary for us to re-awaken and reconnect with our African spirituality.

Here, Covid-19 emphasized the differences between the haves and the have-nots in all spheres: spiritually, socially, economically. This is emphasized by how many people only believe in traditional medicine and how traditional healers are the only means of health care for those who can’t afford western health care in many parts of the world, not just Africa. This results in a larger part of our society being excluded from the conversations, decisions and infrastructure made around healthcare.

Traditional healers have been of the strong view that prevention is better than cure. They have been advising their patients to adhere to the rules and regulations during lockdown as well as strongly encouraging their patients to adhere to the basic Covid guidelines of washing hands regularly, using sanitizer, eating healthy, hydrating and telling their patients to wear masks. However, mention of the Madagascan cure was made by one healer as an example to say the ingredients allegedly contained in that drink are ingredients we collectively use around Africa to help treat illness and specific symptoms of respiratory illnesses. Many other healers also touched on respiratory illnesses, asthma and depression noting how we as Africans have historically treated those symptoms whilst also noting that these treatments might not necessarily cure the illness but relieve the pain and severity of symptoms when used consistently.

They have regularly advised people to immune boost and keep their energy up by doing the following:

· Drink hot water with lemon and garlic.

· Eat citrus fruits.

· Drink ginger, lemon and honey tea (with or without cayenne pepper and turmeric).

· Drink rooibos tea.

· Eat African potatoes.

· Steam regularly (include the essential oil of your choice but Eucalyptus is most recommended).

· Use umhlonyane / umsuswane (sorry for spelling).

· Use African wormword.

The main focus of the remedies suggested is that people should focus on eating and drinking and using natural or organic products but people must be careful to buy these from reliable sources, also bearing in mind that not everything organic is healthy etc. It was also pointed out how a lot of medicinal healing knowledge is in fact rooted in science but then repackaged into western medicine to be believable which undermines common sense cause before western or modern medicine the question was put forward: what kept people alive? These remedies were generally recommended alongside western medicine or more ‘formal’ courses of treatment and it was clearly stated they shouldn’t just be used without consultation and moderation.

On the issue of vaccination however; traditional healers seemed to be somewhat split down the middle on the issue as there wasn’t one dominant answer or narrative I came across. Here a good percentage of traditional healers suggested the following: some encouraged vaccination noting that traditional healers don’t have the cure for covid, encouraging people to use a holistic approach to health using traditional medicine to help with things like flu and issues of spiritual interferences (like if you have a calling) but use western medicine for things like Covid, cancer and if you require specific surgeries etc. On the other hand, a good percentage of traditional healers said they were anti-vaccination due to spiritual reasons. The reason being that vaccines impact on our DNA / biological make up, resulting in us being weaker and blocking our ability to connect with our spiritual selves.

Going forward it was suggested that in future the government better include them in the conversations and decision making process. Here, it was suggested that the government should also build hospitals or spaces where traditional healers could go consult with patients and use traditional medicine. These spaces wouldn’t just be temporary spaces for Covid relief but going forward to help ease the burden on the western healthcare system and western hospitals in general. Here, a continuous collaborative approach between doctors and healers was suggested; whereby healers have a more regulated and protected way to engage patients. Also, as the pandemic progressed many more traditional healers started using teleconsultations the same way psychologists started using a lot more teletherapy. This means they skype, zoom, facetime, or call to hold sessions. They would instruct people on how to make their own medicines if they were too far away to deliver medicine or if they had run out of a particular ingredient.The challenge this poses for traditional healers is that depending on the issue faced by a patient, traditional healing practice is rooted in face to face interaction. So in order to connect with people they must be given more guidance by the ancestors.

Fast forward to the first week of February 2021, and all I can say is personally we have a lot we can still learn from traditional healers. They hold valuable knowledge that can help us understand our context far better than us just taking western medicine as the only way to understand health and healing. Throughout the pandemic we have seen a lot of people return to traditional medicine and organic foods to help them treat milder symptoms of Covid and to help fight flu and other illnesses whilst using more western means to treat severe symptoms of Covid. Here, South Africa just received its first batch of the vaccination whilst other places are still to receive their first batch. However, many other parts of the world have already started vaccinating and Covid could soon be a thing of the past; it will be interesting to see how many people in South Africa move towards a holistic approach towards medicine going forward even post-vaccination if they so choose.

Let me know what you think in the comments below, are you for traditional medicine or western medicine? Are you for a holistic approach to medicine or do you only have one preference? Are you pro-vaccine or anti-vaccine? Have you already taken the vaccine and what was your experience?

M.T.M

Sources (in no particular order):

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8iGnW2cSYc&ab_channel=CGTNAmerica

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdGCjYgf1F0&ab_channel=SABCNews

3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km62H2xR4bI&ab_channel=eNCA

4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKg5Np2-4Kk&ab_channel=NewzroomAfrika

5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1MZSYYuiMk&ab_channel=SABCNews

6. https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/amp/news/south-africa/2020-03-25-traditional-healers-need-recognition-during-covid-19-pandemic/

7. https://www.iol.co.za/amp/sunday-tribune/news/traditional-healers-slam-ramaphosa-for-sidelining-them-45715726

8. https://www.power987.co.za/news/covid-19-lockdown-traditional-healers-demand-permits-to-operate/

9. https://www.news24.com/amp/witness/news/traditional-healers-cancel-sessions-20200406

10. https://www.news24.com/amp/citypress/news/what-about-our-muthi-traditional-healers-herbalists-want-their-services-recognised-as-essential-20200406

11. https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/e-cape-traditional-healers-want-government-to-categorise-them-as-essential-services/

12. https://health-e.org.za/2020/04/14/headline-coronavirussa-traditional-healers-snubbed/

13. https://www.heraldlive.co.za/amp/weekend-post/your-weekend/2020-04-18-traditional-healers-not-sure-if-they-are-essential-service/

14. https://zululandobserver.co.za/223748/traditional-healers-say-they-are-sidelined-by-lockdown/

15. https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/sa-move-level-5-lockdown-level-4

16. https://www.newframe.com/government-allegedly-sidelines-traditional-healers/

17. https://health-e.org.za/2020/05/21/north-west-traditional-healers-demand-protective-wear/

18. https://www.timeslive.co.za/amp/news/south-africa/2020-05-31-traditional-healers-warn-who-hands-off-traditional-medicine/

19. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.knowledgehub.org.za/system/files/elibdownloads/2020-07/guidelines%2520for%2520traditional%2520health%2520practioners%2520in%2520dealing%2520ith%2520covid%252019%2520and%2520lockdown%25281%2529.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjU64-DlO_tAhVCi1wKHf-DDjIQFjAAegQIARAB&usg=AOvVaw1Je2pKo4z_v8VIV2-EGD25

20. https://www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2020/06/08/covid-19-sangoma-wants-to-be-covid-19-ambassador-after-recovery/amp/

21. https://www.iol.co.za/amp/weekend-argus/news/traditional-healers-go-virtual-328da0be-109f-48b3-9e59-83e06ad96100

Remembering South Africa

Ten years ago, I was fortunate enough to visit South Africa, in what would be one of my most memorable trips. I arrived right before the 2010 World Cup and spent over a month in the country, staying with relatives in Durban, visiting its two other main cities, the striking Drakensberg mountain range, and the […]Remembering South Africa

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Top 10 Most Developed Countries in Africa

African countries are booming and becoming more advanced than ever. In this post, we’ll find out about the top 10 most developed countries in Africa.Top 10 Most Developed Countries in Africa

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3. Africa and the novel coronavirus.

Africa enjoyed a short bit of time before the novel coronavirus hit its shores. Here, however; the amount of time that lapsed till the first few reported confirmed cases made the world question whether or not we would be ready to handle a health crisis of this magnitude. Kind of ironic because the entire world including first world countries were and are still not equipped to handle a pandemic of this magnitude as we can clearly see from the numbers and how different areas have shifted to become the epicentre. But I digress.

The first known and confirmed cases in Africa originated from Egypt, and was said to be someone who was not of Egyption nationality who had recently travelled to an area affected by COVID-19 and was reported on the 14th of February, 2020. The last African country to catch COVID19 was Lesotho who recorded their first case on the 13th of May, 2020.

Then on the 5th of March, 2020 the first known and confirmed case was recorded / reported to South Africa. South Africa was ‘the 7th African country to have a citizen test positive for the disease’. The person was said to be a 38 year old male who had travelled to Italy with his wife in a group of 10 people. Here, South Africa was held to be ‘one of 2 countries on the continent with reliable testing capabilities’. But testing capacity has since improved in other countries due to the rapid spread and severity of coronavirus and the need to be able to take care of our people. Here, the rand was said to weaken against the dollar after confirmation of our first corona case.

We watched the novel coronavirus spread rapidly across Africa in quite a short period of time. It almost looked, well, too co-ordinated. Was that just coincidence? I don’t know but again this takes me back to whichever theory you believe in about it’s origins; as that theory might have an answer that suits you. -sips tea- However, one must also take into consideration how much travelling was still allowed during the earlier days of COVID19 and how in general, mild cases have been allowed, in most cases to treat themselves at home - which means the potential for underreporting of real COVID19 cases throughout the world; whilst some non-COVID cases have been misdiagnosed as covid cases potentially inflating numbers in some areas will cause problems for us when analysing what needed to be done, what has been done and what still needs to be done to fight COVID19.

But here is what we do know: every country’s experience of coronavirus is different and as a result everyone has had to respond differently to try address the unique challenges facing their country. The one size fits all approach couldn’t be used to treat this virus, as it has been used to treat other viruses and we are seeing in some instances this difference in approach paying off in some countries whilst going wrong in others which has been both eye opening and scary as the entire world realises that the entire health system has been greatly neglected.

However, despite having been praised for trying to get ahead of the curve by WHO and many others (and also praising WHO for their role in helping to combat COVID19) in our earlier days dealing with coronavirus, our numbers have since drastically shot up (currently sitting at about 23 615 as of the 25th of May, 2020 - Africa Day) and are expected to peak only around August / September/ Also, despite efforts by government to keep people calm and despite efforts by everyone to try and focus on the facts and the science of it all there have been some later decisions that have arguably taken us backward or caused us as citizens to question whose interests are best being served by some of the implementation measures introduced by government to combat / curve / reduce the spread of COVID-19.

But with regards to my experience in South Africa, I would definitely say we tried to do the best we could with the cards that we have been dealt and as critical as I am of politicians, authority and structures I would say that some of the decisions that have been taken have been quite impressive actually, despite potential political, racial and class differences that the country is facing. Also I am very proud of our healthcare sector and how they have managed to actually also encourage us to stay calm by leading by example from our Health Minister, to doctors, nurses, lab techs, scientists, pharmacists, paramedics and other essential staff that work at the health facilities including cleaning staff, security, food suppliers etc. Everyone has just been calm in the public eye. Our response between mid-march up until early April definitely inspired a sense of feeling safe (health wise), albeit not physically; because the army & the police were unleashed on the people causing greater distress.

Some controversial issues raised were in relation to class and how lockdown impacted on the unemployed, underprivileged and working class in a society that is so deeply unequal - actually even known as the most unequal country in the world. Social media has opened the door for all these different debates, with many people openly questioning and criticizing some of the decisions taken by the government. Most notably, the open letters to the president written by Ntsiki Mazwai and Gareth Cliff which caused a stir. For which I will definitely say at the time Ntsiki raised some valid concerns even though her tone was harsh. Gareth’s letter stated nothing new, but then when he was questioned on it, on the popular South African tv show the Big Debate SA he didn’t really articulate himself well and quite frankly was quite rude and unfortunately played into critiques belief that he was clout chasing and seeking relevance (a story for another day). (This all depends on which side of the debate you fall on, I guess).

Meanwhile, round-about mid to late-April (21 April, 2020) Madagascar announced a herbal mix remedy called COVID Organics that is preventative and curative in nature. The remedy is said to contain Artemisia Annua, a plant used in medicines to combat malaria, for which it has been critiqued to say that this plant does not fight malaria in its plant-like state. Here, several African countries had opted to try it by mid-May, including: Liberia, Equitorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Tanzania, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Republic of Congo who have all ‘received some bottles’ of COVID Organics. The emergence of this remedy sparked growing debate around the usefulness / effectiveness in herbal and traditional medicine in combating COVID19 here on the African continent even though China has been exploring this option since February. This resulted in WHO cautioning against herbal remedies that are untested but criticism for the centering of Western medicine as the solution has grown. This led to a call to boycott WHO on social media which never really went further and was then resolved when WHO was rumoured to have agreed to look into COVID Organics but concerns were raised around the non-disclosure clause said to be agreed upon between the two (also rumour, as the sources on this are now more scarce). However Madagascar is still a member of WHO and supporting WHO. Madagascar was recently elected (22 May) on their executive board.

Personally, I believe a combination of both forms of medicine must be looked into, because some homemade remedies have proven effective in combating or helping to boost our immune systems against flu and if flu is a virus that logic holds. But on the other hand, noting that respiratory illnesses like pneumonia require antibiotics and other inflammatory and other drugs as well as liquids, rest, and possible oxygen therapy a more impactful drug with organic properties may be what is needed. But again I am not a medical expert so I am merely stating an opinion based on my understanding - its not fact. Anyway, interestingly enough: Madagascar only had 121 cases and no deaths at the time of releasing COVID Organics. Now by the 25th of May, 2020 they had 527 cases (I stand to be corrected). This is still significantly less than most countries especially for a population of 27.6 Million people so they must be doing something right even if it might not be linked to medicine - it could just be that they have disciplined citizens who are taking care of their health by eating healthy and practicing effective social distancing and sanitization.

To date, Africa as a whole continent has had 111 812 confirmed cases of COVID!9, with 3 354 deaths and 45 001 recoveries as of 6am, (25 May, 2020). In blog posts to follow, I will continue to touch on South Africa as my primary example of what is happening (for obvious reasons as you can tell by the name of this blog) and I will then try to give examples of what has been done in other countries.

*Disclaimer (again): images aren't mine. I just use pics from the net from the sources I touch on, for my posts.

*Wrote this piece on Africa Day, but struggled to post it.

*A reminder that the blog posts in the 21 Conversation series are just bits & pieces of the COVID19 experience that I have found worth talking about touching on some facts, some opinion and some theories you may or may not agree with, I have linked some of the sources that speak to these issues in all the posts that range from news to stats and facts to blogs to youtube so take everything with a pinch of salt. But always keep up to date with coronavirus news through reliable sources and keep up to date with your country’s rules, regulation and other legislation through official government sites. I hope lockdown is treating you well if you are in lockdown and if you happen to be reading this and your country isn’t on lockdown let us know how your country is handling it. Stay safe everybody.

M.T.M

Sources:

1. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/egypt-confirms-coronavirus-case-africa-200214190840134.html

2. https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/world-news/first-coronavirus-case-south-africa-who-is-it-where-reported/

3. https://techcentral.co.za/first-case-of-coronavirus-in-south-africa/96364/

4. https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/05/africa/south-africa-first-coronavirus-case/index.html

5. https://www.cnbcafrica.com/news/2020/03/05/south-africa-confirms-first-case-of-covid-19/

6. https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/coronavirus-in-sa-who-boss-praises-south-africas-response-to-covid-19-pandemic-45923836

7. https://www.cnbcafrica.com/news/2020/04/09/african-union-reaffirms-support-for-who-amid-covid-19-pandemic/

8. https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/who-again-heaps-praise-on-south-africas-response-to-covid-19/

9. https://mg.co.za/article/2019-11-19-why-sa-is-the-worlds-most-unequal-society/

10. https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2018-04-04-poverty-shows-how-apartheid-legacy-endures-in-south-africa/

11. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52125713

12. https://businesstech.co.za/news/government/396473/handling-of-the-covid-19-crisis-makes-mkhize-a-stand-out-leader-analysts/

13. https://www.cnbcafrica.com/africa-press-office/2020/05/12/coronavirus-south-africa-employment-and-labour-praised-for-prompt-payment-of-coronavirus-covid-19-temporary-employer-employee-relief-scheme-ters-benefits/

14.https://select.timeslive.co.za/news/2020-03-23-sa-states-response-to-covid-19-gets-a-huge-thumbs-up/

15. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52619308

16. https://businesstech.co.za/news/government/395685/extending-lockdown-would-not-delay-south-africas-coronavirus-peak-by-much-mkhize/

17. https://citizen.co.za/lifestyle/your-life-entertainment-your-life/entertainment-celebrities/2261937/ntsiki-mazwai-pens-scathing-open-letter-to-ramaphosa-opposes-lockdown/

18. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFPD2zj6DCE&t=6s

19. https://www.garethcliff.com/dear-mr-president/

20. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8iGnW2cSYc

21. https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/madagascar-population/

22. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-madagascar-idUSKBN22K1HQ

23. https://www.msn.com/en-za/news/other/madagascar-launches-miracle-drink-for-coronavirus-infection/ar-BB12WZoM

24. https://africa.cgtn.com/2020/04/21/madagascar-president-backs-unproven-herbal-treatment-for-coronavirus/

25. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/05/coronavirus-madagascar-herbal-remedy-covid-organics-200505131055598.html

26. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52374250

27. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/who-to-study-madagascars-drug-to-treat-covid-19-/1840971#

28. https://africacheck.org/fbcheck/no-madagascar-hasnt-quit-world-health-organization/

29. https://www.africanews.com/2020/05/25/coronavirus-in-africa-breakdown-of-infected-virus-free-countries/

30. https://www.webmd.com/lung/understanding-pneumonia-treatment

31. https://www.drugs.com/condition/pneumonia.html

blackarachnya

literally any true crime doc will just straight up tell you that almost every unsolved case in history is due to police incompetence or outright intentional negligence

2. The history and science behind the novel coronavirus (Background).

The novel coronavirus otherwise known as SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19 is said to have originated from Wuhan, China. Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that are zoonotic in nature. Zoonotic viruses are viruses that are transmittable from animals to humans. Many coronavirus are said to cause respiratory illnesses. Respiratory illnesses are infections that affect the nose, throat, lungs and usually get better within 10 days however COVID-19 is proving different. Respiratory illnesses are spread via droplets in the air (from coughing or sneezing); from droplets landing on and contaminating surfaces (e.g people sneezing into hand and touching door knobs, or droplets landing on surfaces); from saliva (e.g by kissing or sharing drinks / spoons / forks etc); and by skin to skin (hugging or shaking hands).

The animal of origin that is said to have caused the novel coronavirus is the bat. However, the place of first known infections is said to be the Huanan fish market in Wuhan so questions as to the probability of the virus being transmittable through fish were raised (so far there is no evidence to suggest it came from fish). It is suspected that the virus was transmitted from the bat to an animal known as the pangolin. The pangolin is said to be an endangered species unfortunately. In China, pangolins are a delicacy which fetch a higher price. They are hunted for their meat and scales and other body parts are used for medicinal purposes. So the belief as is currently held, is that someone must have contracted the coronavirus from being in contact with a pangolin as the source. Interestingly enough the black market trade of pangolins happens both in Asia and Africa.

The symptoms of the novel coronavirus (according to WHO) include:

Dry cough,

Fever,

Tiredness,

Sore throat,

Shortness of breath,

Aching muscles or body,

A sore throat,

Diarrhea,

Protection measures against coronavirus (according to different sources):

Regularly wash your hands with soap and water OR clean your hands with a hand sanitizer that has an alcohol base (an alcohol base of 70% will be sufficient in killing the germs),

Keep a 1.5 (one and a half) metre distance between you and anyone else who might be sick,

Don’t touch your face,

Practice good respiratory hygiene (coronavirus etiquette) by coughing or sneezing into tissues which you throw away immediately after use OR by coughing or sneezing into your bent arm and not onto your hands.

Stay home if you feel sick to reduce the chances of you catching the germs equally to reduce the chance of you spreading the germs if you have any of the symptoms of COVID-19.

Keep up-to-date with the latest news from reliable sources with regards to COVID-19.

Treatment for the novel coronavirus:

Currently no vaccine for COVID-19 exists.

Mild symptoms: can be treated at home by resting, keeping warm, drinking plenty of liquids, eating healthy and taking a hot shower (for as long as it takes for you to feel better - but research this further as some people have mentioned instances where they started to feel better then got worse again until they got better again).

Severe symptoms: call your doctor / the corona hotline and describe your symptoms so they can send you to the nearest place where you can get tested and hospitalized without exposing others to the virus.

Cases of coronavirus are said to have officially been recognised at the end of December 2019; however as our knowledge about this virus develops; a growing theory or belief is that 2 doctors became aware of this new virus in China when patients started exhibiting new symptoms not commonly associated with other coronaviruses & when these brave doctors raised the alarm bells; their fears were dismissed up until the end of December when more patients started being symptomatic and the government was forced to lockdown Wuhan and declare an epidemic. All this is then to say the timeline of the first appearance of the coronavirus is possibly still unclear (newer sources are claiming it was spotted as early as November 2019 - however when considering these sources and the story about the doctors that raised the alarm I take it with a pinch of salt - that is, to say: because I don’t know which news sites are trustworthy in other countries, that just because it's trending news doesn’t mean it’s factually correct news; however I will still look into the this further).

Here, the first 41 patients with symptoms causing pneumonia were made known to WHO on the 31st of December, 2019. Pneumonia is lung infection caused by a viral / bacterial build up. It can cause pus to fill up the lungs. Here, people can experience double pneumonia (in both lungs) or single pneumonia (in one lung).

Then on the 1st of January, 2020 Huanan seafood market was forced to close as the source of the newly discovered virus was yet to be determined.Then on the 7th of January, this new virus was declared a new type of coronavirus.

On the 11th of January, 2020; China noted its first death related to coronavirus. Then on the 13th of January, the first case of coronavirus was recorded in Thailand and on the 20th of January the first case was recorded in the USA. Then on the 23rd of January 2020 Wuhan was placed on quarantine followed by Hubei.

Then very accurately, the WHO then declared the novel coronavirus a public health emergency on the 30th of January, 2020.

On 7 February coronavirus first whistleblower, Doctor Li Wenliang died of the novel coronavirus after having contracted the virus from patients with the symptoms that he tried to help. It is believed he was first made aware of the unknown coronavirus from Doctor Ai Fen who had ordered tests on the earlier patients of the unknown coronavirus.

Then at the end of March, 2020 Doctor Ai Fen was reported missing after an interview she did in China and the interview is said to be censored (I would still have to research this further). It’s unclear if she has been found or what? I cannot see nothing further online.

The rest as you know it is history (painful history - but history nonetheless).

Another prominent theory gaining traction is linked to Bill and Melinda Gates -sips tea- if you know you know.

We watched as this virus which now not so affectionately known by some of the following nicknames across the world including: Cory, Rory, Ms Coco, Covy, spread rapidly all over China and then to the world taking it from an epidemic and turning it into what’s known as a pandemic. Here, an epidemic is a high rate of infectious disease or virus at a specific time limited to a specific smaller area. Whilst a pandemic is a high rate of disease or virus over a whole country or the whole world.

It’s the 14th of April 2020 now; and I have seen many possible theories emerging from all over the world about the origins of the novel coronavirus and some are more likely and others are just fake news or not logical but whilst we may believe different stories of its origin we have to agree with the science: that COVID-19 exists and that its effects and spread are very real. So do your best to stay safe & to protect the health of others around you. Keep busy, keep fit, keep reading & keep meditating. Check out my previous post if you haven’t and check out my video on 21 things you can do during lockdown if you haven’t.

Let’s make the world a better place.

M.T.M

*Images are not my own.

Timelines and sources on the novel coronavirus:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-pandemic-timeline-history-major-events-2020-3%3famp

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/article/coronavirus-timeline.amp.html

Information on the pangolins:

https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/pangolin

Origins of the novel coronavirus:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/13/how-did-the-coronavirus-start-where-did-it-come-from-how-did-it-spread-humans-was-it-really-bats-pangolins-wuhan-animal-market

What are coronaviruses and the symptoms of novel coronavirus:

https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses#:~:text=symptoms

The first video in the 21 Conversations series is up on YouTube. It's just 21 Things you can do to keep busy during lockdown. Add on to the list of things to do during lockdown if I didn't mention some that you have been doing. Watch, like, subscribe & share the video for more Covid-19 lockdown content.

1. The novel coronavirus in South Africa - #21Conversations (Introduction).

Anyone who knows me, knows that I enjoy engaging in the arts, history, creativity and innovation. However, recently I have struggled to engage in any of those things and I have struggled to find my voice with regards to any of those things. This very heavy creative block has been going on for quite some time & unlike the last time I had this creative block; this one has lasted a very long time (over a year to be exact). This creative block has impacted me in many ways, impacting on every aspect of my life from the social, personal, academic, spiritual, mental and physical.

But since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus; I found myself itching to have a say, or to do something - anything. As a result, I decided to journal pr document my experience of the outbreak (maybe not so much from a personalized point of view but rather from the point of view of considering the many layers this has and the impact that it has had so far. Here; instead of counting down the days until lockdown ends (especially considering we don’t know when lockdown could really end), I decided to rather make blog posts that follow different conversational points surrounding the novel coronavirus), otherwise known as #21Conversations.

These posts will try to document the impact of the virus from an African perspective; with links to other people’s experiences and resources and information in the hopes of maybe (well, hopefully) helping to show anyone who needs to hear it that they are not alone as this is a scary time for everyone. This will hopefully help reduce anxiety and discomfort around the novel coronavirus both for the people that may read these blog posts and for myself but disclaimer I am not an expert of any sort so take this information with a pinch of salt and do your own fact checking and get real professional help for mental health issues you may be facing during this period.

Let’s try to be understanding with each other, even though it’s not so easy or convincing to do. I will try to post as regularly as I can (one post a day); except when I have to unplug or if there’s a need for more than one post. Also, take care of yourselves - read and join the conversation when you can and unplug when you need to.

This too, shall pass.

M.T.M

babyfoxcollectionthings

fuckyeahwomenfilmdirectors

Rafiki dir. Wanuri Kahiu (2018)

Two Kenyan girls fall in love with each other despite pushback from their families and community.

I'm not pain proof and I dont want to be.

arandomthot

cleverbrute

This has happened to me with more than one lover, where she would want to cover up her body or be naked only in the dark. They seemed surprised that I really wanted to see them in their full glory, including a round belly or stretch marks or a flat chest or a C-section scar or whatever.

My honest words in those situations: “I want to see all of you … I want to touch all of you … You look beautiful.”

For me, this seems natural: it’s your lover, and you ought to adore them. But in each of those moments of self-consciousness I learned something, I hope, about the psychological scars we carry from a lifetime of internalizing others’ judgments to the point that we judge ourselves most harshly of all. And women get it the *worst*, especially when it comes to body image, because of deeply fucked-up standards in our society.

Touch your lover. Inhale her. Help her to be more comfortable in her skin. Give her so much adoration that she can’t help but unwind some of the tensions and fears she’s been carrying inside for ages. Whether you’re with her one time or ten thousand, make damn sure that she knows what it is to be worshiped.