Durban - A Chatsworth family have received death threats and were humiliated after neighbours allegedly posted pictures of them and their father on social media, hours after he tested positive for Covid-19.
Community members who are known to the family claimed on Facebook that the man had intentionally moved around his neighbourhood, in Moorton, to infect people.
And, if that was not enough, the traumatised family also had to deal with fake reports on WhatsApp and Facebook that their father had died in hospital.
The man was presently on a ventilator at a Pietermaritzburg hospital as he was struggling to breathe, his nephew told The Mercury on Monday.
The nephew, who asked not to be named, said the community had turned on the family, mocking and taunting them, soon after news got out that his uncle had tested positive for the virus.
“The last 24 hours have been hell. We don’t know whether to focus on my uncle, who is in a serious condition, or all the hate coming from our community.
“The worst was when my cousins received messages of condolences from people, who saw messages that their father had died. They were completely distraught and, for a few hours, believed he had died. Thankfully, we managed to get clarity from the hospital and were able to dismiss it as fake news,” said the nephew.
He said that since Sunday, several hateful messages - together with pictures of his uncle and children - had been doing the rounds.
He said the matter would be reported to the police in the coming days.
The man, who is a construction worker, lives on his own in an outbuilding in Chatsworth, but spends most of his time at his family home in Moorton, where his mother and children live.
His nephew, who lives on the same road, said his uncle became very ill on Wednesday and had asked him to take him to their local doctor, as he was unable to drive.
“The doctor then advised he be taken to RK Khan Hospital for a Covid-19 test. At the hospital, I presented the staff with the doctor’s note, which clearly stated my uncle was a possible Covid-19 patient.
“They made us wait in the parking lot for more than half an hour. We were taken to general casualty, where we waited from 3pm to 11pm. The nurses kept saying that they were waiting for authorisation from the Department of Health to conduct the test,” he said.
The nephew said that, in the eight hours they waited, a number of patients, including a baby, had been in the casualty ward. “The nurses questioned my uncle about his health and any recent travels. My uncle had not travelled overseas and he was unsure if he had come into contact with anyone who had travelled. At that point, the nurses seemed uninterested. They as good as ruled out that he could be positive with the virus because he had not travelled,” the nephew said.
He said that at about 11pm his uncle had been admitted. The family were not allowed to visit or drop off clothing and toiletries due to hospital regulations banning all visitors because of the virus.
They were contacted by the hospital on Sunday, informing them the man had tested positive for Covid-19.
“I immediately panicked. I had spent all of Wednesday with him in the car and at the hospital. I immediately self-isolated and waited for my doctor to advise me,” the nephew said.
On Sunday, law-enforcement authorities shut down the road the man lived in, and health officials tested the man’s immediate family members.
“But I don’t live there and no one has come to test me. I am worried and I am not sure what to do now,” the nephew said.
The Department of Health said that it would not respond to specific cases, as “there were contacts and cases all over the province, and tracer teams are out in most areas”.
When The Mercury visited the are on Monday, the road was closed off to visitors and the police closely monitored the movement of people in the area.
A strong metro police presence was also in Arena Park, near RK Khan Hospital and the Chatsworth Centre.
At RK Khan Hospital, a number of vehicles and people were observed, many without any protective gear, such as masks and gloves. People sitting under the trees and at the bus stop were not adhering to the social distancing rules, while police just drove by them.
Chatsworth councillor Previn Vedan was also spotted in the area with a loud hailer, appealing to people to adhere to the regulations and stay at home.
He also appealed for calm in the community and pleaded for people to stop sharing messages on social media revealing the identities of the infected man and his children.
Community activist Visvin Reddy described some members of the community as insensitive and heartless.
He called on the authorities to investigate those who circulated the fake messages, which also revealed the identities of the man and his children.
“The Department of Health did not officially confirm the status of the man and people were already posting his picture and address for all to see. Our responsibility - as neighbours, friends, family and the community at large - is to protect and support those who are infected.
“These members of the community, who wanted to dramatise this very sensitive issue, have effectively ostracised a sick man and stigmatised the disease. We must guard against doing this because the coronavirus can affect anyone, at any time,” Reddy said.
He said that people should feel free to seek assistance and count on the support of those around them.
“There are strict rules in place during this lockdown relating to fake news. Those responsible must face the full might of the law. I condemn this foolish and ignorant behaviour. In saying that, I also want to commend the many people who have reached out to this family during this time,” he said.