We have the weapon to win this war — the choice is ours

to an article written by Kate Whiting, published on the World Economic Forum website, social distancing plays a crucial role in disrupting the spread of Covid-19.

However, more than that, social distancing also limits the severity of sickness among those who do get infected.

“Social distancing not only can slow the spread of SARSCoV-2 in a cohort of young, healthy adults but can also prevent the outbreak of Covid-19 while still inducing an immune response and colonising nasal passages,” the study reported.

This was the conclusion of a study conducted among soldiers in Switzerland.

This study not only confirms what has been the gospel of Covid-19 prevention since the outbreak, but it also gives hope that social distance is a tool worth perfecting.

It seems that where the initial exposure to the virus is minimal due to social distancing, fullblown Covid-19 can be avoided.

This means less severe symptoms are suffered by those infected and the infected people also develop an immune response to the infection.

This has massive implications for us since we can reasonably assume that it applies to all countries and populations.

One of its implications is that health services can be saved from being overwhelmed by huge numbers of sick people.

The second implication is that social distancing, the wearing of masks, and good hygiene are very effective in reducing infection.

The third implication is that SA is on the right path in trying to enforce the wearing of masks and social distance.

The fourth implication is that, if we can observe social distancing effectively, we can turn our attention to work and resume our nation-building economic activities.

“The critical question that all countries will face in the coming months is how to live with this virus. That is the new normal,” said World Health Organisation director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during a recent press conference.

The most emphasised reason for the enforcement of the lockdown measures was to save our health services from being overwhelmed. If this study is to be believed, we have another way to achieve the same end.

If we are to live with this virus, we must make vast improvements in hygiene, wearing masks, and social distancing.

At least we are not entirely helpless, we have a choice. The regulatory framework for social distancing has already been laid out.

The question is, are we disciplined enough to use this wonderful set of tools effectively in our fight against Covid19?

SA does not have a very good record as a law-abiding nation, neither do we fare well in changing our behaviour.

If we look at alcohol abuse, gender-based violence, and drinking and driving, we can see how lawlessness and the onset of undesirable behaviour seem to have overtaken the nation.

Regardless of the endless campaigns against alcohol abuse, drinking and driving, and the scourge of genderbased violence, for instance, we are not winning.

This is not to mention the appalling murder rate which can be compared to war zones.

While the strict observance of social distancing measures promises not only to deal with our Covid-19-related health problems but to allow us to restart our economy, it is painful to realise that we may not be able to exploit its full utility.

Sure enough, the challenges of congestion, lack of water, and hygiene are obvious. However, it is time we looked at what we can do as individuals and communities to combat Covid-19.

We need to persuade each other to take responsibility by wearing our masks correctly, improving hygiene, and observing social distance. This is the greatest contribution we can make towards the physical and economic health of our nation.

Ghebreyesus highlighted five priorities for countries. These included empowering communities with awareness, finding contacts and quarantining, early identification and care, research, and strong political leadership.

All of these things are doable and doing them allows us to open schools, run businesses, start new businesses, improve health and build our country.

The fear which is accompanying the rise in infections can be replaced by informed confidence that this war is winnable.

Of course, political leadership is a challenge in SA. Our politics have become poisonous, not only reducing the utility of this important societal tool but making politics a stumbling block to progress.

The dynamics of our politics have produced a lawless country which hardly recognises the sanctity of life.

We might have to pay a ghastly price for this.

We need to persuade each other to take responsibility by wearing our masks correctly