Page 6 - IB May 2021

View From The West

COVID-19, THE WESTERN FRONT AND

STEALING THUNDER

By Dennis Rounds Health experts fear that the B1617 variant is more viru-
lent and that the mutations could increase transmission and
Faced with a second COVID-19 lockdown, just 12 months reduce neutralisation. They worry that the mutations could
after the first, I’ve convinced myself that I now have a better possibly stunt the ability of vaccines to curb them.
understanding of the term “Western Front”. Scientists tell us that, as part of evolutionary biology,
During the First World War, a large slice of Europe was des- viruses mutate all the time and that some mutations weaken
ignated the Western Front. The term referred to what was, the virus while others may make it stronger, resulting in more
essentially, the main “theatre of war”. infections.
In the latter half of April, Fiji’s health authorities “locked This, my journalism instincts reminded me, was the mes-
down” the pre-COVID booming tourism town, Nadi, and the sage- as scary as it is - that needed to be driven home to the
sugar-producing city of Lautoka. Fijian public.
Those of us living in the two municipalities were faced with The B1617 variant is deadly. Sadly, Fijians didn’t get that
closure of non-essential businesses, limited public transpor- message until the end of April.
tation and repeated calls to “stay home”, practice “social As with “Western Fronts”, lock-downs, curfews and self-
distancing”, wear face masks and sanitise. isolation become unbearable. It’s how we come through the
The official explanation from the Permanent Secretary for ordeal, unscathed, that give credence to the precautions we
Health, Doctor James Fong, for what amounted to a “theatre take.
of isolation” for most of us, was that a funeral held in Lautoka In Lautoka, we have learned quickly to take precautions
had become a “super spreader” of the virus. based on advice which normally comes from Dr Fong.
Apparently, a woman working at a government-designated Unfortunately, for our fellow Fijians in Suva, Lami and Nau-
and controlled quarantine centre had made contact with a sori the method of communicating precautions has, in recent
soldier who had contracted the virus. times, become blurred.
She then attended a funeral, together with more than 500 People there had to wait several hours to hear Dr Fong
people and the virus was thus passed on with Suva attendees confirm what was, already widespread “coconut wireless”
at the funeral inadvertently carrying the virus back to the news - that there was to be a 56-hour lockdown because of an
capital. increasing number of COVID cases on their “front”.
Through daily media briefings Fijians learned that the virus Many were caught out, with low food supplies.
had also spread to the Lami, Suva and Nasinu areas. In one Not long afterwards the good doctor, who has been the
case, in the Suva-Nasinu corridor, a soldier returning from the “main character” updating the nation, was again “up-staged”.
quarantine centre had passed the virus on to his wife. Someone had apparently “leaked” information that the Suva/
Suva and its surroundings were also “locked down”. Nausori and Lami areas were to go into an even longer “lock-
Dr Fong later confirmed at one of the daily briefings that down”. So, Dr Fong’s confirmation, hours later, came as no big
the virus that was now in the public/community domain was a surprise.
variant first detected in India and known as the B1617 strain. Back here, in our “burning west”, I couldn’t help myself and
With all the talk focusing on locking down and containing succumbed to the trend of “conspiracy theories” which seem
the virus, I couldn’t help but lament the lost opportunity to to have “mushroomed” all over the world.
heighten the seriousness of the deadly situation in Fiji. I wondered if someone was trying to steal Dr Fong’s “thun-
According to Indian scientists, the B1617 variant is a COVID der”.
virus with two mutations – E484Q and L452R.
As a double mutation variant, it is thought to be the reason editor@islandsbusiness.com
for India’s deadly new wave of cases.
Towards the end of April, India had recorded more than 14 Dennis Rounds is a former owner of Islands Business, and a
million COVID cases with more than 175,000 related deaths. veteran journalist.

6 Islands Business, May 2021