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Global Reaction to Omicron Has South African Concerned New Omicron COVID Strain Has Some Displeased with Reaction

David Wright believes his country has been unjustly singled out.

By Chilekasi Adele

David Wright of Cape Town, South Africa believes travel bans imposed by other countries could lead to economic turmoil.
© 2021 Chilekasi Adele

PEYTON SPELLACY: Now, the Omicron Variant was first detected in South Africa — a nation where some of our Syracuse community has family. Chilekasi Adele spoke to the father of one Syracuse resident. He’s live outside Crouse Hospital now. Chilekasi, what did you learn?

CHILEKASI ADELE: Peyton, tourism is a very big thing in South Africa. So, this could be a big blow. The new variant that’s coming out. I’m live outside Crouse Hospital right now, which is not too far away — literally right next to Syracuse University, where Francesca Wright, a sophomore, an S-U sophomore from Cape Town, South Africa goes. I spoke to her father, David, today, and he mentions that despite the low vaccination rates in South Africa, people feel the nation’s more prepared than most around the world due to how the nation had to deal with the HIV and AIDS epidemic.

ADELE: Now, Wright says others in the region, including countries like South Africa and Botswana, feel discriminated against, amid all the travel bans going into their countries. Here’s what he had to say.

DAVID WRIGHT: You know, we kind of feel isolated and persecuted, to be honest with you, and that’s the general feeling amongst the public and the last couple days.

ADELE: David says he’s taking it day by day when it comes to whether his daughter will come home for Christmas break. He says they do have family in New York City if the Omicron variant does get really bad.

Now, the family met halfway in Dubai for Thanksgiving. David says it’s almost impossible now, due to the quarantine rules and the travel bans going on — going in and out of the country. We’ll send it back to you.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) –  David Wright believes South Africa has not been lauded enough following the detection of the Omicron variant in his country.

“There should be awareness or, I almost wanted to say a congratulatory response to South Africa, with its limited medical resources, having found this variant,” Wright said. ” Certainly ourselves, and many others don’t want it to be stated to be the South African variant. We want it to be the variant that was found in South Africa and uncovered in South Africa.”

Wright, of Cape Town, referenced recent reports showing that new findings indicate the Omicron strain was already in Europe before South Africa became known as the strain’s epicenter. The Associated Press reported Tuesday that Dutch researchers disclosed patient samples from Nov. 19 to Nov. 23 that contained the new variant.

Wright’s daughter, Francesca, is a sophomore at Syracuse University. Despite attacks on Asians in the United States in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, David’s concern about possible harassment of his daughter from Americans is minimal.

“[The Omicron variant] doesn’t seem to carry the same stigma as unfortunately the Chinese or the Asian people have had to endure,” Wright said. “I certainly haven’t seen any or heard of any harassment, certainly from my daughter or for any of the other people that we know that are in the U.S. and Europe. I’m really hoping that people remain informed and act appropriately in this respect.”

Wright added that he has pride in his country for being able to locate the new variant — something he labeled a “conflicting emotion.” However, he believes the nation, and those around it, are being punished unfairly with travel bans that could halt the economy — one that relies heavily on tourism.

“The reaction has been one of surprise, and probably shock — perhaps aggrievement and anger towards South Africa as well as our neighbors — that Botswana and Zimbabwe and the other countries here, that we’ve all been placed on this red list, and non-travel list,” Wright said.

 

 

 

Reported by
Chilekasi Adele

Chilekasi Adele

Chilekasi Adele is a sophomore Broadcast and Digital Journalism Major at Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Public Communications. Adele is from Aldan, Pennsylvania -- a suburb of Philadelphia. When Chilekasi is not chasing a story for NCC News, he also spends time with other campus media organizations, such as CitrusTV, where he is an on-air talent in both the News and Sports Departments. Adele likes to spend time with friends and family in the meantime, and he is an avid Philadelphia sports fan.

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