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"Covid' blood draw sparks fears!

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Emma Monageng and Kemoneilwe Tsirwe say they thought they were being given injections to prevent the coronavirus.                          Photo by Boitumelo Tshehle
Emma Monageng and Kemoneilwe Tsirwe say they thought they were being given injections to prevent the coronavirus. Photo by Boitumelo Tshehle

TWO women came to their village and drew blood from two residents and now the villagers are worried they may have been there with evil intentions.

Residents of Mathateng Village in North West said the one woman said they were doing an antibody survey to check whether they were infected with Covid-19.

They questioned the residents, made them sign consent forms, and then drew blood.

Unhappy residents called the police because they have never heard that blood must be drawn for Covid-19 related illnesses.

Emma Monageng (48) said she agreed for her blood to be taken because she was scared of the virus.

“I thought maybe they were from government and were there to give us the vaccine.”

She said they could not understand them as they were speaking Zulu.

The second woman, Kemoneilwe Tsirwe (71), said she got scared when a group of villagers flocked to her house and told her the women may be giving her an injection that could kill her.

“I thought the injection was to prevent the virus,” she said.

Local councillor Edith Seane said she became worried because normally, people contacted her first. Community members opened a case at the police station.

Lieutenant-Colonel Amanda Funani said the women were questioned by the station commander and proved they were legal.

She said no case was opened and the two were released.

Deputy CEO for research at the Human Sciences Research Council, Professor Leickness Simbayi, said they had to temporarily stop the survey in the North West because of the misunderstanding.

He said the survey is to find out how many South Africans may have been infected with Covid-19, including those who did not know they were infected.

According to Simbayi, the data would help to identify factors that drive infections.

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