Page 6 - DUT Conduit Aug/Sept 2021

THE COVID-19 TASK TEAM DISPELS MYTHS about COVID-19 AND VACCINES
courtesy of the DUT COVID-19 Response Task Team
Rumours and false information about COVID-19 and the vaccines continue to do the rounds, particularly on social media. Fake information is extremely dangerous and spreading it is a criminal offence because of the risk that it poses to people.
With the help of https://sacoronavirus.co.za, the COVID-19 Response Task Team have dispelled a few of the myths currently in circulation.
Truth and misinformation
• Misinformation – Masks don’t protect you from COVID-19.
• Truth – Masks have been repeatedly shown in scientific
studies to effectively mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
• Misinformation – The COVID-19 vaccines are dangerous.
• Truth – The vaccines work with minimal risk. In South
Africa, for example, nobody has died as a result of being vaccinated, even though as at 12 August 2021, over 10 million vaccines had been administered.
• Misinformation – The virus that causes COVID-19 hasn’t even been isolated yet, so how can we have vaccines?
• Truth – The virus has, indeed, been isolated and is under
scrutiny across the world.
• Misinformation – Hydrogen peroxide can cure COVID-19.
• Truth – Drinking any amount of hydrogen peroxide could
kill you.
• Misinformation – The mRNA vaccines are suspect; they
alter your DNA.
• Truth – The mRNA vaccines, such as the Pfizer vaccine,
are effective against serious COVID illness, hospitalisation and death. They do not interact with or affect our DNA in any way. The mRNA (messenger RNA) in the vaccines never enters the nucleus of our cells where our DNA is kept, and is soon eliminated from the body after it teaches the immune system to fight off COVID-19.
• Misinformation – The mRNA vaccines are new and we don’t know enough about them.
• Truth – Researchers have been studying and working with mRNA vaccines for decades. Beyond vaccines, researchers have been using mRNA to trigger the immune system to target specific cancer cells in people who have cancer.
After vaccination
• After you have been vaccinated, you will still need to follow all the standard non-pharmaceutical interventions: wear a mask, social distance by 1.5 metres, wash/sanitise your hands regularly, and avoid crowds and gatherings.
• If you are vaccinated, you can still catch COVID-19, but your chances of developing severe illness, hospitalisation and dying are drastically minimised.
• You would probably develop mild to no symptoms, but it is possible for you to pass COVID-19 on to others.
• We all need to exercise 100% compliance with the regulations for the foreseeable future.
COVID-19 booklet
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has published an online booklet to help people experiencing mild COVID-19 disease at home. Click on the following link for this booklet, but don’t forget to inform DUT if you test positive: https: //mailchi. mp/2b07e2bf66f8/a-step-by-step-guide-to- treating-mild-covid-19-disease-at-home?e=b914836ca0
Important contact numbers for information
and advice on COVID-19
• DUT Clinics’ WhatsApp lines: 067 370 4482 or 083 783 7057 (office hours)
• COVID-19 Hotline: 0800 029 999 (24 hours)
• COVID-19 WhatsApp line: 0600 12 3456 (24 hours) • DUT COVID-19 Hotline: 031 373 3760/
031 373 2223; covid-enquiries@dut.ac.za (office hours)
Resources on COVID-19 and vaccination
• Official SA government COVID-19 website: https:// sacoronavirus.co.za/National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD): https://www.nicd.ac.za/diseases-a-z- index/covid19/
• DUT COVID-19 webpage https://www.dut.ac.za/ coronavirus/
Currently, the COVID-19 virus can only be transmitted by humans as the main vector. Thus, if each person is either vaccinated or complies with the prevention measures, then we can break the chain of transmission from person to person – thereby reducing the epidemic! This responsibility is a personal one to protect myself and my family and community as well a moral imperative to reduce human suffering from the pandemic for our entire nation.
6
DUT’S PROF JINABHAI DISCUSSES THE MENTAL HEALTH IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
SIMANGELE ZUMA
The Chairperson of the Durban University of Technology (DU T) COVID-19 Response Task Team Prof Champaklal Jinabhai recently discussed the mental impact of the COVID-19 pandemic at the virtual Annual Mental Health and Wellness event hosted by DU T’s Student Health and Wellness Centre.
Prof Jinabhai said that the virus
affects all the organ systems in the human body, especially targetting the respiratory system and has caused a very high morbidity and mortality rate.
Mental health impact of the pandemic
The mental health impact of the pandemic at the individual level is the core function of the DUT COVID-19 Response Task Team. Prof Jinabhai said that the defining feature of the pandemic is that it causes human suffering. The primary goal of mental health interventions is to end all human suffering and more importantly, promote wellness in all its forms: physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual, to foster happiness, compassion and care, which all represents ubuntu or ‘oneness’, a spiritual concept and practice in South Africa.
“Ubuntu or oneness is a state in which we have a beautiful inner calm and peace and we are able to withstand the negative impact of the pandemic or any other challenges facing us. The source of all human suffering is in the consciousness of individuals and its dominant feature and emotion is fear in all its forms. This transcends the individual consciousness and is now the dominant emotion of the collective consciousness of seven billion people,” said Prof Jinabhai.
He said that these fears and their associated consequences cause human suffering and misery at three different levels – the biological, psycho-social and spiritual-moral dimensions.
Why vaccinate?
According to Prof Jinabhai, vaccines, together with the psycho- social and mental health dimensions, aim to dissolve and overcome this fear. His talk focused on how one overcomes this fear at the individual and collective levels of consciousness.
“Scientifically-proven vaccines directly enhance the biological and immune system, which are depressed by the COVID-19 virus. These vaccines strengthen the physical body, which is the house of human consciousness and also the house of the divine. They and other scientific medical interventions together with good nutrition, exercise and positive behaviours, strengthen all the organ systems in the body, which then provide protection against COVID-19 and promote health,” said Prof Jinabhai.
We can then replace fear with compassion, loving-kindness and solidarity to strengthen connections and transform individual and collective human consciousness, promoting ubuntu and oneness.
Overcoming vaccine hesitancy
“We need to encourage all members across our country to take the vaccine. The first aspect is reducing fear caused by stress, suicide and all the other behavioural consequences. One of the negative trends is stigma and discrimination but also stigma against those who are not vaccinated. We also need to address that at an individual and collective level,” advised Prof Jinabhai.
Harnessing the power of science and faith
Knowledge promotes awareness and provides the tools for staying safe and healthy but must be followed by transformation of the heart to provide the emotional energy for sustained behaviour change. Heart-centered connection to family, work and community members engenders empathy and compassion to end the suffering of self and others. Enlightened individuals build connected networks of solidarity, compassion and care to promote global public health for the collective good. Aware, transformed and enlightened societies thrive to overcome all adversities to build resilience and sustainable, supportive networks.
Faith-based organisations (FBOs) are critical to provide blended, comprehensive programmes of action. They bolster vaccination campaigns and complement them with modalities to provide the heart-centered emotional and spiritual energy necessary for sustained behaviour change. To overcome fears and combat vaccine hesitancy requires combining science and faith to address erroneous beliefs, nurture positive caring values and practice ethical behaviour.
Pictured: Prof Champaklal Jinabhai. Photo by Sandie Clarke on Unsplash.