Impikiswano yakamuva ephindaphindwayo—kanye nokuguqulwa kwenqubomgomo—ngokusetshenziswa kwamaski wobuso ukuvimbela ukusabalala kwe-Covid-19 kwembula indinganiso ephindwe kabili esobala. Ngesizathu esithile, besiphatha le ndaba eyodwa yezempilo yomphakathi ngendlela ehlukile. Asiboni ama-op-ed abuza ukuthi abantu badinga ngempela ukuhlala kude ngamamitha ayi-6 komunye nomunye emgwaqweni, ngokungafani namamitha ama-3, noma abangela ukungabaza ngokuthi kungumqondo omuhle yini ukukhuthaza izikhathi zokugeza izandla ezingamasekhondi angama-20 ubude. Kodwa uma kukhulunywa ngokumboza ubuso bethu, kusetshenziswe ubukhali obukhulu bezemfundo. Emasontweni amuva nje, ochwepheshe baye beluleka ngokuqapha—noma benqabe ukusetshenziswa kwamaski ngumphakathi jikelele—njengoba becela ubufakazi obungcono nobuqondile. Kungani?
Baqinisile, vele, ukuthi izincwadi zocwaningo mayelana nokusetshenziswa kwemaski azinikezi izimpendulo eziqondile. Azikho izivivinyo ezinkulu zemitholampilo ezifakazela ukuthi ukusebenzisa imaski komuntu siqu kungavimbela ukusabalala kobhubhane; futhi lezo ezibheka imaski kanye nomkhuhlane ziveze imiphumela engaqinisekile. Kodwa lobu bufakazi obuncane abusitsheli okuningi, noma ngabe yikuphi: Izivivinyo azifakazeli ukuthi imaski iwusizo, noma ukuthi iyingozi noma ichitha isikhathi. Lokho kungenxa yokuthi izifundo bezimbalwa ngenani futhi zigcwele izinkinga zendlela yokusebenza.
Ngokwesibonelo, cabanga ngokuhlolwa okukhulu okungahleliwe kokusetshenziswa kwemaski phakathi kwabafundi basekolishi lase-US ngesizini yomkhuhlane ka-2006-07. Ukuncipha kwezifo phakathi kwalabo abagqoke imaski yobuso kulolo cwaningo kwakungabalulekanga ngokwezibalo. Kodwa ngenxa yokuthi ucwaningo lwenziwa ngesikhathi okwaba yisikhathi esingesihle somkhuhlane, lolu cwaningo lwalungenawo amandla ezibalo alowo mbuzo; babengekho abantu abagulayo abanele ukuthi abacwaningi bathole ukuthi ukugqoka imaski kuthuthukise yini ukuhlanzeka kwezandla kuphela. Babengenakukwazi futhi ukuqeda ukuthi kungenzeka ukuthi abafundi base bevele bethelelekile ngaphambi kokuba kuqale uvivinyo.
Noma thatha olunye ucwaningo lwesizini efanayo yomkhuhlane, kulokhu e-Australia, olungatholanga mphumela oqinisekile. Leso sabheka abantu abadala abahlala nezingane ezine-flu. Abantu abangaphansi kwengxenye ababeqoqwe eqenjini labagqoki bezimaski babike ukuthi bazisebenzisa “isikhathi esiningi noma sonke.” Eqinisweni, babevame ukulala eduze nezingane zabo ezigulayo ngaphandle kwazo. Lokhu akufani nhlobo nombuzo wokuthi kufanele yini ugqoke imaski phakathi kwabantu ongabazi esitolo sokudla phakathi nobhubhane.
Kodwa nansi into: Umuntu angenza izikhalazo ezifanayo ngobufakazi obusekela ukusetshenziswa kwemaski ngabasebenzi bezempilo. Nakuba wonke umuntu evuma ukuthi lo mkhuba ubaluleke kakhulu ezibhedlela nasemakliniki, lokho akusikho ngoba sinobufakazi obukholisayo obuvela ezivivinyweni ezingahleliwe. Izivivinyo ezimbalwa zemitholampilo esinazo zokusebenzisa imaski kubasebenzi bezempilo ukuvimbela umkhuhlane azibonisi umphumela ocacile; futhi azikwazi ngisho nokukhombisa ukuthi ama-respirator e-N95 aqinile asebenza kangcono kunemamaski okuhlinzwa. Lezo zivivinyo nazo azikahle neze. Isibonelo, umuntu wahlola ukusebenza kahle kwamamaski endwangu ngokuqhathanisa abasebenzi bezempilo ababewagqoka nalabo abagqoke amamaski okuhlinzwa noma ama-respirator, kanye neqembu lokulawula elalilandela "umkhuba ojwayelekile" esibhedlela. Kwavela ukuthi iningi labasebenzi eqenjini lokulawula babegqoka amamaski okuhlinzwa noma kunjalo, ngakho-ke ucwaningo alukwazanga ukukhombisa ngempela ukuthi amamaski endwangu ayengcono (noma ayembi) kunokungagqoki amamaski nhlobo.
Ngempela, isisekelo sesayensi sabasebenzi bezempilo abasebenzisa izifihla-buso asiveli ezivivinyweni zezokwelapha zokuqubuka komkhuhlane noma ubhubhane. Sivela ekulingiseni kwelabhorethri okubonisa ukuthi izifihla-buso zingavimbela izinhlayiya zamagciwane ukuthi zingangeni—kukhona okungenani amashumi ambalwa alezo—kanye nasezifundweni zokulawula amacala ngesikhathi sobhubhane lwe-coronavirus lwango-2003 olwabangela i-SARS. Lezo zifundo ze-SARS azizange zigcinelwe abasebenzi bezempilo.
Kuyiqiniso ukuthi izisebenzi zezempilo noma abanye abantu abanakekela abantu abagula yi-Covid-19 bavezwa amazinga aphezulu kakhulu e-coronavirus kunanoma ubani omunye. Uma kukhulunywa ngokuntuleka kwemaski, kusobala ukuthi banesifiso sokuqala sokufinyelela. Kodwa leso akusona isizathu sokuthi akukho ukwesekwa kokusetshenziswa kwamaski yibo bonke abanye. Phela, azikho izivivinyo zemitholampilo ezifakazela ukuthi ibanga elingamamitha ayi-6 livimbela ukutheleleka, ngokwazi kwethu. (I-World Health Organisation incoma kuphela ukuhlukaniswa okungamamitha ayi-3.) Futhi izivivinyo zemitholampilo azibonisi ukuthi ukugeza izandla zethu imizuzwana engama-20 kungcono kunokukwenza imizuzwana eyi-10 uma kukhulunywa ngokunciphisa ukusabalala kwesifo esiwubhubhane lwesifo sokuphefumula. Isisekelo sesayensi saleso seluleko sokugeza izandla semizuzwana engama-20 esivela kwi-US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sivela ezifundweni zelebhu ezilinganisa igciwane ezandleni ngemva kwezikhathi ezahlukene zokugeza.
Ngakho-ke wawuyini umthombo walesi simiso esiphindwe kabili mayelana nezifihla-buso—futhi kungani sagcina sesenqatshiwe?
Ngicabanga ukuthi ikakhulukazi kungenxa yokuthi besilokhu silithatha kancane leli gciwane, kuyilapho sibheka kakhulu ikhono lethu lokubhekana nalo. UMiao Hua, isazi semvelo kanye nesazi sezokwelapha eMount Sinai Hospital eNew York City, washaqeka ngomehluko wemibono ngokulawulwa kokutheleleka e-US uma kuqhathaniswa neWuhan. EShayina, wabhala emasontweni ambalwa edlule, ukusabalala ngaphakathi ezibhedlela kwaqeda ngokushesha umqondo wokuthi amasu okulawula avamile anganelisa ukuvimba le coronavirus entsha. Lokho ayekuzwa eShayina kwakungavamile, esho, futhi ikakhulukazi kukhathaza ngenxa "yokwehluleka komphakathi wezokwelapha waseMelika ukubhalisa ukuhluka komlando kwe-Covid-19".
Ushintsho lwakamuva lwenqubomgomo ye-CDC ekusekeleni imaski lubonisa ukuthi lokhu kuvuma osekudlule isikhathi eside kungenzeka ukuthi sekuqediwe. Isitatimende sale nhlangano sithi lolu shintsho lubangelwa ubufakazi obuqongelelekayo bokuthi lesi sifo asidluliselwa ngendlela efanayo neyomkhuhlane: ukuthi abantu bangathelelana futhi bangabi nazimpawu, nokuthi igciwane lingasakazeka ngokukhuluma, kanye nokukhwehlela, ukuthimula, kanye nokuthinta izindawo ezingcolisiwe.
Ngicabanga ukuthi ukungafuni ukukhuthaza ukusetshenziswa kwemaski ngumphakathi jikelele, kanye nokusetshenziswa kwezindinganiso ezimbili zobufakazi obusekelayo, kwabangelwa nokukhathazeka kokuthi abantu ngeke bakwazi ukusebenzisa imaski ngaphandle kokuzingcolisa. Noma ukuthi imaski izonikeza umuzwa wokulondeka ongamanga, okuholela ekuyekethiseni ukuqhelelana nabantu noma ezinye izindlela. Ukuxhumana okuphumelelayo kubalulekile lapha, nokho, njengoba kube njalo ngenqubo yokugeza izandla ngokuphelele. UStella Quah, isazi sezenhlalo eNyuvesi yaseSingapore, wafunda izici zomphakathi zobhubhane lwe-SARS eSingapore, lapho umkhankaso wezempilo yomphakathi wawuhlanganisa khona imfundo mayelana nokuhlanzeka kwezandla, kanye nokuhlola amazinga okushisa kanye nokusetshenziswa okufanele kwemaski yobuso. I-CDC iguqule isiqondiso sayo semaski yobuso ngoLwesihlanu olwedlule, yabe isithumela izeluleko ezithile ezilinganiselwe zokuthi ungazigqoka futhi uzisuse kanjani, kanye nemiyalelo yokwenza eyakho ngenhlanganisela yama-bandana nezihlungi zekhofi.
Imfundo engaphezu kwalokho iyoba yinto ebalulekile, nokho, uma zonke lezo zithombe esizibona ku-TV zabantu abanezifihla-buso ezingambozi impumulo noma izilevu zabo zingaba yinto okufanele ilandelwe. Umlando wamuva nje unesifundo esifanayo. Ngemva kweSiphepho uKatrina, kwanconywa imishini yokuphefumula kunoma ubani owenza umsebenzi wokulungisa isikhunta eNew Orleans. Ucwaningo lokuthi lokho kwasebenza kanjani kusampula engahleliwe yezakhamuzi ezingu-538 lubonise isidingo semfundo: Amaphesenti angu-24 kuphela ayewagqoka ngendlela efanele, futhi ngokuvamile ayengabantu ababewasebenzise ngaphambili; okwamanje amaphesenti angu-22 abantu abeka imishini yabo yokuphefumula ebheke phansi. Ababhali balolo cwaningo baphetha ngokuthi: “Ukungenelela kokuthuthukisa ukugqoka izingubo zokuphefumula kufanele kucatshangelwe ekuhleleni noma ezifweni zomkhuhlane kanye nezinhlekelele.” Ucwaningo lwango-2014 eWuhan luthole ukuthi ukusetshenziswa kahle kwemishini yokuphefumula kwabasebenzi abangebona abezempilo kwakuphakeme kakhulu ngemva kokuqeqeshwa.
Ingabe ukusetshenziswa kabanzi (futhi okufanele) kwamaski kungenze umehluko lapho igciwane liphunyukile ekugonyweni? Ucwaningo lwango-2018 lukaJin Yan kanye nozakwabo base-US Food and Drug Administration bakhe imodeli esekelwe ekucabangeni okuvela kudatha yelebhu. Baphetha ngokuthi uma amaphesenti angama-20 kuphela abantu besebenzisa amaski, bekungeke kwenze umehluko ekusabalaleni komkhuhlane. Nokho, ngokuthobela imithetho engu-50%, ngokusetshenziswa kwamaski okuhlinza ahlungiwe kakhulu, umphumela ungaba mkhulu. Lokho kumane kuwumphumela wemfundiso, futhi siyazi ukuthi ukuqubuka kwe-Covid-19 kuye kwavinjelwa ezindaweni ezingenazo ukusetshenziswa kabanzi kwamaski. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, lapho ukuqubuka kungaphezu kwamandla, ngisho nomnikelo omncane ubalulekile.
Ekugcineni, kunzima ukubalekela ukusola ukuthi izinga eliphindwe kabili mayelana namaski alihlobene kakhulu nesayensi kunomehluko wamasiko endleleni esisabela ngayo ezifweni eziwumshayabhuqe. Umehluko ubulokhu ubonakala kusukela okungenani ubhubhane lokuqala lwe-coronavirus, i-SARS, olwashintsha isimo sengqondo kanye nokuziphatha okuphathelene nempilo yomphakathi e-Asia. Akukhona nje ngamaski: Amazwe angewona ama-Asia nawo aziphathe ngendlela ehlukile ekuhloleni amazinga okushisa kwabantu noma ekubulaleni izindawo zomphakathi. Akukho okusha ngalo mkhuba, nokho. Sivame ukucela ubufakazi obukhethekile lapho umkhuba ungahambisani nemibono yethu esivele siyicabanga. Lokho, ngeshwa, kuvamile kakhulu; futhi ososayensi abavikelekile.
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Isikhathi sokuthunyelwe: Ephreli-09-2020