Written By: BARR. CHUKS EZEWUZIE
Few days ago, Governor Willie Obiano inaugurated the disability community COVID-19 response team in Anambra state, where he re-echoed that the relaxation of the lock down measures should not, by any means, be interpreted as winning the battle over Coronavirus. Sir Willie even assured that the fight against the pandemic would be intensified, but bearing in mind the welfare of Ndi-Anambra. This is coming from a leader who always thinks about his people before taking any action that would affect them to ensure that no one is hurt, while keeping them safe.
No doubt, coronavirus, though a pandemic, is not a death sentence. In fact, statistics show that there are many other diseases that kill more than the virus. However, this novel corona virus is far more unpredictable than other diseases.
According to a publication by the Washington Post, there are millions of corona viruses, of which only six were previously known to infect humans. Four of them cause common cold that spreads easily during Winter. The fifth was responsible for the SARS outbreak in 2003 that killed 774 people. The sixth caused MERS in 2012, which killed 34% of the people infected. The seventh is the current Covid-19, which is the bad seed of the coronavirus family. It can spread before people show symptoms, making it more difficult to control.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and various centers for disease control have continued to alter their advice and guidance to keep pace with new developments. According to the agencies, the pattern of the disease in kids is different from that of the adult, which is of great concern to the practitioners on the front line of the fight.
At the moment, physical distancing is the only counter measure against the pandemic. Experts say it will be years until it is fully understood how the disease damages organs and how generic medication, diet and distancing impacts its cause.
Physical distancing, touted as the only solution, has its own limitations though. Besides the difficulty in maintaining physical distancing, researchers have shown that respiratory droplets from human speeches linger in the air for eight minutes and potentially much longer. The louder the speech, the more the droplets.
Group meetings, even with physical distancing, saturate the air with these droplets and it gets worst with a singing group. This underscores the importance of a protective face mask. The inhalation of these droplets spreads the virus. Thus, the infections of coronavirus cluster in confined spaces with limited air circulation.
Therefore, physical distancing, in spite of its shortcoming, experts say, may be a temporary solution. Hence, Scientists and our local traditional herbalists must intensify efforts in the search for a permanent solution. If we must defeat this pandemic, we must all do our best to be part of the solution by taking charge of our own individual safety and the safety of our households.
We must not provide a parking space for COVID-19. Irrespective of one’s status – privileged or vulnerable, sick or healthy – it is time to take sides in this battle. Wear good protective face mask when you step out of the house, have a bucket of running water with liquid soap next to it in front of your house or business area. You should also do well by regularly washing your hands for at least 20seconds.
Above all, we must regularly apply good hand sanitizer, sneeze or cough into our folded elbow and practice physical distancing. We must equally insist that every member of our household does all of those. By so doing, we are battle ready against COVID-19. The virus can affect anyone. People of all races, ages and economic status have been infected.
Let’s take responsibility to reduce the risk of infection. Let us cooperate with the wonder working and winning Willie, and then we can say, it is okay!
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