Truth
Gathering true figures about COVID-19 is like looking for a grain of truth on the internet, which is many things, including a den of thieves and liars. Lying starts with the profile photo. It’s not who we are.
I always think about the lying and thieving when I see notices pasted on bank doors, store entrances, dentist/doctor’s office, shopping malls, hotels, in fact everywhere. Maybe notices is not the right word. They are questions.
1. Have you travelled out of the province/country in the last 14 days?
2. Do you have flu like symptoms?
3. Are you in contact with a person/persons who have tested positive for COVID-19?
I forget the other questions. Nobody has said ‘yes’ because yes means you can’t go in. NO ADMITTANCE. Go home. Quarantine. We don’t want you in this building.
Health authorities therefore, will never have the true state of the virus in cities, provinces/states or countries. Stats are important but they are for long term planning. The short term is that we want to enter a building now, today, for personal reasons or business.
A friend was very serious when she told me how she wanted to sneeze on a bus one day. She said she suppressed that sneeze because she was scared the whole bus would complain, forcing the bus driver to stop the bus and kick her out.
It was funny to me, but not to her. To this day, I silently tell potential sneezes to back off when I’m in public. Back off! What I don’t understand though is the rationale for these questions. Let’s suppose we ditch the lies and say yes. How will health authorities collect the stats because we’ll just walk away and not enter buildings?
They will never know how many people turned back voluntarily. It’s like quarantine after travelling abroad. Are people truthful? Do they really quarantine?
It’s the gospel truth, someone said somewhere.
By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.
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