THE EDITOR: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This I learnt in the cradle and will take it to the tomb. Why have we converted sporting facilities to hospitals? Why are beaches closed and rum shops opened? Isn't preventing better and cheaper than curing? The philosophy had to be let the population get sick and we will take care of them through a parallel healthcare system with step-down facilities and intensive care units.

Catch not at the shadow and lose the substance. The world is yet to discover and agree on the origin and cause of covid19. Why has it manifested? A question ignored because the experts are too busy fighting the symptoms. The ineffectiveness of the strategies are reflected in the increased waves and variants.

Employment brings enjoyment and idleness breathes poverty. All aspects of the economy have been disrupted. Loss of jobs and income created a dependency syndrome, unemployment and relief grants. The shortages prompted higher prices which the unemployed obviously cannot afford.

Kindle not a fire which you cannot put out. The stampede to get a quick fix stimulated speedy manufacturing and selfish distribution of vaccines with different levels of efficiencies. Charity and care for our kind were replaced by a panic for self-preservation as the world plunged itself into the lake of self-interest.

The claims of vaccines mismatched the repetition of waves and the birth of new variants. Men questioned the science under which the vaccines were created. Hesitancy followed the doubt, interpreted as stubbornness.

A stitch in time saves nine and lives. Notice how covid19 deaths are co-related to diabetes, asthma, hypertension and heart diseases? The sensible thing to do is to strengthen the constitution of those afflicted, leaving little for the virus to feed on. You never know till you have tried. It might be too late to realise that timely mending will save much spending and that time cures more than doctors.

Soft words win hard hearts. The sun shines on saints and sinners alike. Who gave the vaccinated the right to the planet while condemning and restricting the unvaccinated? The blame game only strengthens the position of covid19. Remember the poor, the ignorant and the hesitant, they too have their story.

Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. However, if you don't know the disease how can you come up with even half a cure? The goal to harness covid19 must not license any means possible, compulsory vaccines included.

On a long journey even a straw becomes heavy and fighting the virus is taking its toll on us, our energy and resources. Defeat to our guides should not spell the end or the loss of hope but merely a change of course for it is by others' faults wise men correct their own.

There is a time for everything under the sun, covid19 included. We have procrastinated enough watching the cures expire, falling short of the desired goals. It is never too late to indulge in a more positive approach to prevent rather than trying to cure. Come to the reality that wha