INJURY TIME

‘CALL IT BY ITS NAME’

HE power of words. A number of variants of Covid-19 have been identified around the world. South African scientists were among the first to raise the flag about the variant – 501Y. V2. Unfortunately that diligence has been a problem. It became the ‘South African variant,’ or as one UK tabloid had it: ‘South African Super Covid’. Travel to correct the world’s media. “I should point out that even though the virus in this particular variant was first described in SA, it might not have emanated from SA. It's inappropriate to call it a SA variant. It’s better to call it by its name,” he said. The host on CNN responded: “Of course, it’s just handy shorthand.”