Ukusakazeka Kwamagciwane Abulalayo
U-Eloise nabantu ayegibele nabo banikezwa ikhadi le-Health Alert Notice ngemva kokugibela indiza esuka eLondon iya eNew York. Kwakungo-May 1995. Ebusweni balo leli khadi lalifundeka kanje:
“KUMGIBELI: Gcina leli khadi esikhwameni sakho amasonto angu-6. Uma ugula phakathi nalesi sikhathi, nikeza udokotela wakho leli khadi umtshele ngohambo lwakho lwamuva nje lokuphumela ngaphandle kwe-United States.
“Kungenzeka ungenwe isifo esithathelwanayo ngaphambi kokuba ufike e-United States, futhi ukwazi ngalokhu kungase kusize udokotela wakho ekuxilongeni.”
Izisebenzi zasendizeni nazo zakhipha amaphephandaba achaza ukuqubuka kwe-Ebola, isifo esithathelwanayo esasibulala abantu abayinqwaba eZaire.
U-Eloise wafunda nge-Ebola—isifo esiyingozi futhi esibulalayo. Abanalesi sifo babeqala ngokuba nomkhuhlane, umphimbo obuhlungu, nekhanda elibuhlungu, elilandelwa ngokushesha ukuhlanza, isisu esibuhlungu, nesifo sohudo. Ngemva kwalokho kwakuba ukopha okukhulu, okunganqamuki, ngaphakathi nangaphandle. Abangu-9 kwabayishumi babefa ngokushesha.
Ezinyangeni ezithile ngaphambili, kwakubikwé ezinye izifo eziyinqaba futhi ezibulalayo: ngokwesibonelo, ubhubhane lwaseNdiya. Kwezinye izindawo abantu babefe phakathi namahora ambalwa ngenxa yalokho imithombo yezindaba eyakubiza ngokuthi “igciwane elidla isikhumba.”
U-Eloise waliphendula leli khadi ayeliphethe. Olunye uhlangothi lwalufundeka kanje:
“Kudokotela: Isiguli esikunikeza leli khadi sisanda kubuya phesheya, futhi kungenzeka siye sangenwa isifo esithathelwanayo esingavamile e-United States. Uma ucabanga ukuthi lomuntu unesifo esingavamile esithathelwanayo (ikholera, ukopha kakhulu, umalaleveva, i-yellow fever, njll.), siza usibike ngokushesha edolobheni lakini, esifundeni, noma eSikhulwini Sezempilo Sikahulumeni futhi (ngocingo—shayela) i-Division of Quarantine, eCenters for Disease Control, e-Atlanta, eGeorgia . . . ”
Leli khadi laliveza ukukhathazeka okwandayo emhlabeni wonke ngokusakazeka kwamagciwane abulalayo—lawo okuthi ngemva kokubangela ubhadane endaweni eyodwa emhlabeni, asakazekele kwezinye izindawo ngokushesha njengomlilo wequbula. Ngokungefani no-Eloise nabantu ayegibele nabo, amagciwane awaphathi zincwadi zokungena kwamanye amazwe noma ahloniphe imingcele yobuzwe. Ngaphakathi kumuntu onesifo, ayazitamasela engatholakali.
Njengoba ngobunono ayefaka leli khadi le-Health Alert Notice esikhwameni sakhe, u-Eloise wazibuza, ‘Zivelaphi lezi zifo ezibulalayo? Kungani kubonakala sengathi isayensi yanamuhla yezokwelapha ayikwazi ukuzinqoba?’ Mhlawumbe nawe uke wazibuza ngalokhu.