The World Health Organisation has called the coronavirus, COVID-19, “the defining global health crisis of our time” and indeed it is. It has already, literally, defined the inept, the callous, the indecisive and the selfish among us. It has defined the fearmongers and the fearful. By the time it peaks and ebbs, recriminations will be rife over who should have done what and when and the modern-day Neros, who can be readily identified, are no doubt already prepping their spins for when that time comes.
COVID-19 was allowed to become a pandemic because in far too many places and cases, those in authority dithered. The coronavirus the world is currently dealing with emerged in 2019, hence the name COVID-19. It is suspected that Patient Zero might have contracted the virus in November last year. According to medical journal The Lancet, the first person to test positive was apparently exposed to the virus on December 1. Less than four months later, the proverb “he who hesitates is lost” rings true. Inaction and global travel compounded by a lack of or inadequate basic personal hygiene and courtesy have seen the virus wreak havoc on life as we knew it.
COVID-19 is thought to be spread from person to person via the same route as the common cold and the flu virus, which is by respiratory droplets emitted when an infected person coughs and sneezes, that land on other people or on surfaces they subsequently touch, before involuntarily touching their eyes, noses or mouths. Common sense, common courtesy and basic personal hygiene demand that any person who feels the urge to cough or sneeze do so in a tissue or handkerchief and wash or sanitise their hands immediately after. In far too many cases this does not happen. Influenza, or the flu, therefore, affects millions and kills over 200,000 people globally each year. It also puts significant strain on health resources and affects economies in terms of productive hours lost when workers fall ill. Given all of this, the world could not withstand another virus. Yet, here we are.
Because of all that is already known about viruses in general, health authorities and leaders ought to have been more prepared. Instead, among the first reactions to COVID-19 were denial, ignorance, stigmatisation and racial discrimination. Then propaganda and fake, false news were out the gate ahead of the measured guidelines that ought to have been issued worldwide months ago. Instead of controlling the narrative, respective national health agencies have been playing catch up, while citizens have been garnering what they consider ‘the latest news’ on dubious internet sites.
What this has done is open the floodgates of irrationality and fear at one end of the spectrum to downright recklessness on the other. Panic shopping and ignoring calls to self quarantine are among the signs.
Now that it seems that the world is headed for generalised social isolation and quarantine in some instances, it is apropos that the actions taken to contain the outbreak be rooted in caution rather than fear. It is not too late for health authorities and governments to act smartly in order to pull us all ahead of the curve. Vigilance is going to be key in containing this virus as it is not unknown for greed to trump good sense and sound judgement.
