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Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu Health Reporter
OPEN defecation, a practice prevalent in Zimbabwe due to water and sanitation challenges, could fuel the spread of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic which thrives in faeces and human body fluids including semen, blood, tears and vaginal discharge.

The practice can be defined as the disposal of human waste in fields, forests, bushes, open bodies of water or other open spaces.

Bulawayo residents who have been subjected to water shedding that has seen them going for days without running water due to the city’s limited capacity to pump water from supply dams, could be at high risk of contracting the deadly virus. Most residents have resorted to relieving themselves in the bush due to non-availability of water to flush toilets.

The council has imposed a tight water shedding programme but persistent technical faults and pipe bursts have seen it failing to abide by the schedule. This has resulted in residents going for days without running water and those in high lying areas have gone for months without the precious liquid leaving them with no option but to resort to using the bush to relieve themselves. The Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2014 reports that the national open defecation rate is at 31,7 percent. This affects rural areas in particular where 44 percent of the population practices open defecation.

Professor Solwayo Ngwenya, the Mpilo Central Hospital acting chief executive officer clarifying the issue said:

“Coronavirus is a very infectious virus and invades any mucus membranes in the body and these are found in the eyes, mouth, nose and by extension any membrane in the body.

“This means members of the public must be careful, the virus can invade the vagina, anal passage and it is not clear whether indeed Covid-19 is sexually transmitted. However, for now, I will not be keen to let anyone touch my privates with their dirty hands as this can lead to transmission. This virus is new to many of us, it keeps changing and still under lots of study hence we cannot say it can be transmitted through sex. The main routes that we know now are the mouth, nose, eyes and it has been found in faeces.”

In an interview, Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Dr John Mangwiro warned that open defecation could lead to an upsurge in Covid-19 cases.

“Open defecation is not encouraged even in towns facing water shortage challenges like here in Bulawayo. Let us use the bucket system as opposed to open spaces as this may increase our risk to Covid-19 which we are battling to contain as a country. The coronavirus is found in any body fluid such as saliva, tears, vaginal secretion, semen, blood and faeces. Any secretion from the body carries the virus as it is a metabolic virus so it’s important that we are careful in how we dispose of such,” said Dr Mangwiro.

He however, commended members of the public for the healthy behaviour of wearing masks and hand washing which has helped lessen their risk to Covid-19.

“I want to thank Zimbabweans for their positive response towards Covid-19, our recovery rate is 77 and it’s a good sign. We are heeding the call and we shall continue to spread the positive messages we have been doing and raising awareness,” he said.

Dr Mangwiro said people should remember Covid-19 still has no cure hence the need to continue practising social distancing.

“There is no known cure that we attribute the recovery to and even those who rely on natural remedies should be careful as some of these steaming methods are dangerous to people with respiratory diseases. Let us stay at home if we can, wash our hands and do what we are supposed to do so that we beat this disease,” said Dr Mangwiro.