COVID-19: Taking a stock of the blow

By: Samsideen Ajadi

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are known to cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

Code-named Covid-19, novel coronavirus was identified on the 12th of December, 2019 in Wuhan before the China Government declared a lockdown in the city and most parts of the country in January 2020.

Barely two months after its first discovery, World health Organisation (WHO) declared it as a pandemic after seeing the alarming levels of spread, severity and deaths across almost all continents of the world.

Even the so called superpowers, United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and many more are falling as they have recorded thousands of cases and deaths in like some.

This April, infection has crossed over a million cases. As of Saturday, 4rd April, 2020, 18:01 GMT, infected persons globally had reached 1, 191, 067 with 64, 197 fatalities. So far, 246, 062 have been lucky to recover from the virus despite the unavailability of a known vaccine.

If the first world countries are stuck in this Pandemic, what are the chances for the African countries should there be explosion of the number of infected persons? And usually, these are a people with perhaps the worst set of public infrastructure needed to make a fight, as countries with the needed resources are currently overwhelmed.

No doubt African countries have had a fair share of its vulnerability against the virus too. So far, the North African region has recoded the most cases with about 2,668 covid 19 cases as of 3rd of April, 2020

The West African countries have about 1247 corona virus cases; Central African countries have recorded 424 cases while the Southern African region has recorded 1,529 cases as of on the 2nd of April, 2020.

Nigeria on its own has also recorded 210 cases, 25 recovery and 4 deaths as of the 4th of April, 2020

Among all African countries, South Africa has the most cases of 1,505, Sierra Leone with the least of 2 cases, and Lesotho, Comoros, Sao Tome and Principe and South Sudan are the only countries free from the disease in Africa and with about 50 countries infected, 334 deaths and 704 recovered cases as of 3rd of April.

For starters, coronavirus can be contracted through casual touch – hand shake, hugs – nose droplet from sneezes, and coughs, sexual intimacy, amongst others.

However, it can be prevented, according to local and international health authorities through: frequent hand washing with soap, social distancing and self isolation, avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth, and making sure mouth and nose are with bent elbow or tissue when coughing or sneezing. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately and stay informed and follow advice given by your healthcare provider.

With lockdown in most parts of Nigeria and the world, many families are stranded and are likely going die of hunger as most have been locked out their businesses. Governments across the world have been offering relief in terms of loans, cash and food items as part of efforts to cushion the effects of the pandemic.

In Nigeria, governments of affected states and federal seat of power have been offering relief materials and sum amount of money to ‘most vulnerable’ families. But the modalities of picking these beneficiaries remain a subject of controversy. Politicians, celebrities and privileged others have made some inputs as well.

At this time, people need to support government and healthcare workers, as efforts to produce a vaccine, to cure the respiratory illness, reach an all-time most important level of human existence. Governments in all parts of the world must rise to support citizens especially where poverty bites harder. Politics of bitterness at the global level will not stop this virus but end of hurting our very commonplace on mother Earth.

The whole world need to be strong to win against the deadly virus.