In Zimbabwe, 'you win coronavirus or you win starvation'

“We are alrey ruined. What more harm can coronavirus do?" Irene Kampira asked as she sorted secondhand clos at a bustling market in a poor suburb of Zimbabwe's capital, Harare.

People in one of world's most devastated nations are choosing daily survival over measures to protect mselves from a virus that “might t even kill us,” Kampira said.

Even as country enters a “total lockdown” over virus on Monday, social distancing is pushed aside in struggle to obtain food, cash, cheap public transport, even clean water. World Health Organization's recommended virus precautions seem far-fetched for many of Zimbabwe's 15 million people.

“It’s better to get coronavirus while looking for money than to sit at home and die from hunger,” Kampira said, to loud approval from or vendors.

sourn African nation has few cases but its health system is in tatters, and virus could quickly overwhelm it. Hundreds of public hospital doctors and nurses have gone on strike over lack of protective equipment. Many Zimbabweans are alrey vulnerable from hunger or underlying health issues like HIV, which is present in 12% of population.

Last year a United Nations expert called number of hungry people in Zimbabwe “shocking” for a country t in conflict. World Food Program has said more than 7 million people, or half country, needs aid.

Harare, like most cities and towns across Zimbabwe, has an acute water short and residents at times go for months, even years, without a working tap. Many must crowd communal wells, fearing close contact will speed coronavirus' spre.

“If taps were working we wouldn’t be here, swarming well like bees on a beehive or flies on sew. We are busy exchanging coronavirus here coughing and spitting saliva at each or,” said 18-year old Annastancia Jack while waiting her turn.

government has closed borders and banned garings of more than 50 people while encouraging people to stay at home.

But majority of Zimbabweans need to go out daily to put food on table. With inflation over 500% most industries have closed, leaving many people to become street vendors. Zimbabwe has world’s second-largest informal ecomy after Bolivia, according to International Monetary Fund.

Police in recent days have tried to clear vendors from streets, in vain. As in or African countries where many people rely on informal markets, a lockdown could mean immediate food shorts.

Once-prosperous Zimbabwe was full of renewed promise with forced resignation in late 2017 of longtime leer Robert Mugabe. But President Emmerson Mnangagwa has struggled to fulfil promises of prosperity since taking power. He blames country's crisis in part on sanctions imposed on certain individuals, including himself, by U.S. over rights abuses.

Daily necessities in Zimbabwe make social distancing an elusive ideal. In downtown Harare, hordes of people congregate at banks for cash, which is in short supply. Ors pack public transport.

“We are only ones practicing social distancing, we sit in our cars all day,” said Blessing Hwiribisha, a motorist in a fuel line snaking for more than a kilometer in poor suburb of Kuwzana.

“Look at m,” he said. He pointed at a supermarket across ro where hundreds of people shoved to buy maize meal, which has become scarce due to a devastating drought and lack of foreign currency to import more.

“What is happening in Zimbabwe is very scary. It’s like we are playing cards. Its eir you win coronavirus or you win starvation," said Tinashe Moyo at supermarket. "I am very scared."

Few health workers are available as doctors and nurses strike.

“re is a difference between being heroic and being suicidal,” said Tawanda Zvaka, president of Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association.

Health workers described a lack of disinfectants, sanitizers and even water at hospitals.

And yet Health Minister Obiah Moyo repeatedly says Zimbabwe is “well prepared” to deal with COVID-19 cases.

But frightened health workers cited death of a prominent brocaster at an ill-equipped isolation center specifically reserved for COVID-19 cases.

“y didn’t have a ventilator to help him,” Zvaka said. “ inability of our system to man one patient is worrying. What about when re are 50 patients?”

Zimbabwe has has less than 20 ventilators to help people in severe respiratory distress, he said. He said country needs hundreds to equately deal with virus.

“We see a situation where Zimbabwe can become a graveyard if we are t careful,” said Itai Rusike, director of Harare-based Community Working Group on Health.