AWUKHO umonakalo obonakalayo osudalwe yigciwane elizishintshile leCovid-19, iXBB1.5, elisanda kutholakala eNingizimu Afrika.
Usolwazi Tulio de Oliveira wesikhungo esicwaninga ngokuzishintsha kweCovid-19 ezwenikazi i-Afrika, iCentre for Epidemic Response & Innovation, uthe okwamanje isibalo sabahaqwa yiCovid-19 kuleli, asikenyuki futhi nesibalo sabalaliswa ezibhedlela beguliswa yigciwane elisha.
Uthe kusukela kutholakale lolu hlobo lwegciwane le-Omicron eselizishintshile, uMnyango wezeMpilo ubayalele ukuthi bacubungule yonke imiphumela etholakale ngokuhlolwa ngobuchwepheshe obaziwa ngePCR, ukuze kubonakale ukuthi singakanani isibalo sabahaqwe yigciwane lakamuva nokuthi liziphatha kanjani.
Uthe angu-23 amagciwane azishintshile eCovid-19 atholakale e-Afrika esezansi, kanti angu-19 awo atholakale eNingizimu Afrika, kodwa amaningi kawabi namandla yize esuke ekhona.
“Igciwane elisabalala kakhulu e-Afrika yonke yi-Omicron, amanye atholakalayo noma esabalala kodwa akalingani ne-Omicron,” kusho yena.
Uqhube wathi bangu-10% abantu abahaqwe yi-XBB1.5 selokhu kutholakale ukuthi kunegciwane elisha.
"Ulwazi esinalo okwamanje lusikhombisa ukuthi isibalo sabalaliswe esibhedlela beguliswa yi-Omicron esizishintshile asikenyuki kanjalo nenombolo yabahaqwa yiyona nsukuzonke, ayikenyuki," kusho uDe Oliveira.
Uthe nakuba kunjalo, basazoqhubeka baqaphe ukuziphatha kwaleli gciwane ukuze basheshe babone uma kunoshintsho.
"Ngokubona kwethu, igciwane lakamuva ngeke lisabalale kakhulu okungaholela ekutheni kube nesinye isivunguvungu. Okusisizile ukuthi sisheshe sibone ukuthi kunegciwane elisha, bese sihlala siliqaphile," kubeka uDe Oliveira.
Usho kanjena nje, i-European Commission ivakashele kuleli izobheka ukuthi isikhungo esizokhuqiza umgomo weCovid-19 kusetshenziswa ubuchwepheshe bemRNA ngempelasonto.
Lesi sikhungo esaziwa ngokuthi i-Afrigen Biologics and Vaccines esiseCape Town, sakhelwa ukuthi sikwazi ukukhiqiza imigomo kuleli ngokushesha uma kwenzeka kuba nesidingo futhi sikwazi ukuyisabalalisa kwamanye amazwe ase-Afrika.
Umgomo wokuqala okhiqizwe lulesi sikhungo kulindeleke ukuthi udlulele esigabeni sokuhlolwa kubantu maduze nje.
IPhini likaNgqongqoshe wezeMpilo kuleli, uDkt Sibongiseni Dhlomo, lithe kuyabajabulisa ukuthi bavakashelwe yi-European Commission izobona umsebenzi oqhubeka kulesi sikhungo.
UNkk Petro Terblanche we-EU Commission, ucashunwe kweminye imithombo yezindaba, ethi ukuvakashela kwabo kulesi sikhungo ukuzokhombisa ukuthi bazimisele ukusebenzisana neNingizimu Afrika ukuze kunqotshwe izifo okuyinto edingeka kakhulu emhlabeni.
Ngesikhathi sokubheduka kweCovid-19, amazwe antulayo ayethembele ekuthengeni imigomo emazweni acebile ayekwazi ukuzikhiqizela imigomo, okuholele ekutheni iNingizimu Afrika itshale imali ukuze ikwazi ukuzikhiqizela eyawo imigomo ngokuphelele.