It has been almost three weeks since Ethiopia has confirmed the first coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) case after a Japanese man has tested positive.
Since that time, despite all the efforts made by the government to minimize the spread of the virus, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, though it is relatively low, has been increasing. Currently, it has reached to 25; with no death reports.
As many people projected and it is learnt from global trend, if the public fail to realize the advices and guidelines put in place by the government, more people can contract the infection and the number can escalate from a handful to more people.
According to Tsegereda Astateke, Nurse, the novel coronavirus is a new global threat and health crisis of the time. From the time China has announced the case, the virus has been spreading swiftly throughout the world. Since then in every single day, while the number of new confirmed coronavirus cases is escalating, a great number of people are dying due to the virus.
The situation is the most despondent and despairing moments that the world has encountered.
As to her, when the first Covid-19 case happened in China at the end of December 2019, countries had never anticipated it to be as such shocking and overwhelming. Even some countries had underestimated the risk and hoped to control it easily although what is happening now is the reverse.
In our country, since the time the virus was detected, the government has been taking a number of measures in a bid to ward off the spread of the virus. Ranging from suspending flights to certain countries to closure of educational institutions, including universities, federal government offices and borders, it has banned large gatherings along with social distancing in response to the case.
Equally, beyond announcing the critical importance of frequent and proper handwashing and use of alcohol based sanitizers in a situation when water and soap are not available, it has gone far to ensure the practicality of the action among the communities.
Consecutively, the handwashing and sanitizing drive has now become the most attuned trends of the community. In particular, because government and nongovernmental institutions and volunteers are widely participating in the drive through delivering water, soap and sanitizers for any person walking by to, it has allowed the public to rewash time and again after touching anything. From this point, it is possible to say the effort is becoming more fulfilling.
However, in relation to social distancing, a lot remains to be done. In fact, in a country like Ethiopia where social cohesiveness is too tight and strong, practicing social distancing almost immediately can be a little bit challenging. Even the way we live by itself complicates the situation. However, as the virus passes from person to person through direct contact of the person contracting the infection, keeping social distance is a key remedy to restrain the transmission of the contagious diseases, she remarked.
As to her, being in close contact with someone, public gatherings and shaking hands and hugging, accelerate the spread of the virus. Thus, it is a must to keep a distance from other people to contain the virus.
Tsegereda hopes that if the fast spread of the virus is controlled, Ethiopia can contain COVID-19 as has been shown in China, South Korea and some other countries. To this effect, every person should follow strictly the advices and directives forwarded by the government and Ministry of Health and translate them into action, she underscored.
Yeshi Derbe, a teacher, on her part said that currently the government is taking extra measures to halt the spread of the new coronavirus cases by organizing special teams.
It has also called on the public to take care of themselves by maintaining social distance, avoiding mass gatherings and unnecessary outings, which are the prime cases for COVID-19 transmission. However, there is negligence among the public with regard to keeping social distance and avoiding mass gatherings, she said.
According to Yeshi, the shutdowns of educational institutions, offices and recreational centers targets to make people stay at home as much as possible and reduce the risk of contracting the virus. Unluckily, most people are not restricted at their places.
It is undeniable fact that if COVID-19 is not controlled and the transmission continues to spread, it can produce incalculable devastating effects. “Thus, taking the seriousness of the case into consideration, the public should follow the directions, guidelines and advice forwarded by the government, Ministry of Health, and Public Health Institute strictly to minimize the COVID-19 burden and keep their own health and of those around them.
“If we exercise those basic protective measures, I hope we will keep ourselves, testify how we care for one another and defeat the virus” she remarked with glimmer of positivity.
Underscoring the severity of the case last Monday, President SahleWork Zewde said that social distancing, along with handwashing, is the most viable mechanism to mitigate the virus. However, as it is observed in various areas of the capital, the action is not well exercised in the city.
It is abundantly clear that even those countries that have well developed health system and resources could not contain the virus or delay its fast transmission.
“As the virus occurred in our country lately, it has enabled us to buying time for preparation. And now, we are facing the inescapable reality, and the future is unpredictable. This is in fact a difficult and demanding time for all of us. Thus, we should prepare ourselves and take the right steps to limit the worst consequences of the coronavirus,” she underscored.
The Ethiopian Herald April 1/2020
BY STAFF REPORTER
