Second Wave Of COVID-19 Should Be Taken Serious!

Ehanire

  There have higher spikes in the new cases of COVID-19 infections in Europe and the US. Experts agree that the lowering of guard due to the reducing number of cases from the first wave largely contributed to the recent spike in cases. 

According to Shahid Jameel, Director, Trivedi School of Biosciences at Ashoka University, “Europe does seem to have got a bit relaxed in June and July, once the numbers began to come down. People started travelling extensively, even for leisure. And this has contributed to the surge that we are seeing now. This is what we need to learn about this disease, and need to guard against. The virus has not gone anywhere, even when the numbers decline.” Gagandeep Kang, professor at Christian Medical College, Vellore, also affirmed, “We are coming out of a time when most of Europe was on a holiday and had started traveling… within Europe, but still, travelling. “In the United States, school holidays ended around the end of August, and colleges started to function. We are two months from all those events, and for the virus to multiply, it takes a bit of time – there is a lag. So, this surge is not entirely unexpected. What is a bit surprising is that one would have expected these populations, which are considered to be generally more aware, to have done a better job at doing the non-pharmaceutical interventions to control the epidemic, but that clearly does not seem to have happened.” 

That coronavirus could stage such a devastating comeback or second wave in Europe and the United States with their better medical equipment and better awareness should be of concern to us here in Nigeria. It is therefore worrisome that Nigerians are going about their activities as if coronavirus never existed because coronavirus protocols are hardly observed nowadays. 

Recall that the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 (PTF), recently admonished Nigerians to anticipate and prepare for a possible second wave of the pandemic. The Federal Government has lamented the lack of compliance with the PCR test protocol by about 65 per cent of Nigerians returning to the country. This came as Lagos State government warned residents that the continuous disregard of COVID-19 protocols and safety guidelines could lead to a second wave of new infections in Lagos. Disclosing the development, in Abuja during a news briefing, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, and Chairman of The Presidential Task Force, PTF, on COVID-19, Mr Boss Mustapha, said the passports of erring travellers would be seized as sanctions. Mustapha said: “As you may recall, the PTF announced guidelines on reopening of the airspace and obligations of arriving passengers. The PTF similarly announced sanctions as a consequence of any infraction. “Having observed serious non-compliance to the level of 65 per cent, the need has arisen to activate the sanctions which include the suspension of the passports of such defaulting individuals for a period of six months minimum.” 

He highlighted the resurgence of the pandemic in Europe and the United States of America USA, warning that Nigeria remains at risk of importation, having opened its airspace and massive spread as a result of the protests. “The next week or two remain critical. The PTF has noted with sadness the failure of Nigerians who arrived from abroad to present themselves for the in-country PCR test which they signed up to and paid before arrival. “Statistics emerging from our records show that only one out of three passengers have shown up for the in-country test,” the SGF stated. 

The worrying statistics of passengers coming from Europe and United States (continent and country experiencing the second wave of COVID-19) and refusing to observe the COVID-19 protocols means that the second wave of the pandemic is imminent or already with us and thus should be taken very seriously by government and Nigerians. It is even more worrisome when government institutions began to scale down COVID-19 operations by closing the isolation centres as if the pandemic has run its course in Nigeria at a time the world is witnessing the second wave of the pandemic. A recent investigative story by a national newspaper found that as concerns mount among health authorities over a possible spike in COVID-19 through the second wave of infections, over 60 per cent of isolation centres meant to cater for coronavirus patients in the country have been shut down by state governments. The paper quoted the director-general, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, as having hinted that the second wave of COVID-19 outbreak in the country was inevitable, urging Nigerians not to lower their guards despite hopes of having a vaccine soon.

According to the report across the country churches, schools and public facilities are flouting guidelines put in place by the presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19 to curtail the spread of the virus. Many worship centres and schools do not observe social distancing rules, wearing of face masks and hand washing rules, as should have been the case to check the spread. In Lagos and Abuja, it was gathered that active isolation centres had less than 20 per cent of capacity while other centres were shut down. Till date, some Nigerians still argue that the virus is not real, or potent enough to kill a Nigerian while a greater percentage of Nigerians now feel it is safe to let their guards down as there is high disregard for COVID-19 protocols in mass gatherings such as parties, weddings among others. But the federal government has warned against non-challant attitude towards the protocols, as a fresh wave of the pandemic has hit Europe and the United States ahead of the yuletide. 

Back in August, the Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr. Chikwe Iheweazu, had said that Nigeria can avoid the second wave of COVID-19 infection if all citizens collectively work towards containing the spread of the viral pandemic. According to the NDCD DG, the second wave of COVID-19 infection can be averted depending a lot on what is done by all Nigerians. Speaking in a live TV interview, the NCDC DG, noted that the country can reduce the rate of infection “if we really focus on this thing for the next few months’ until there is a vaccine.” Now there is a vaccine but it could take several months to reach countries like Nigeria as such stopping the second wave of the pandemic should be prioritized by government and citizens. It is common knowledge that Nigerian Diaspora visits the country mostly during the Yuletide and they are mostly coming from Europe and United States that are experiencing the second wave of the pandemic, and when PTF said that most of the travellers from Europe and the United States do not observe the COVID-19 protocol, Nigerians should be concerned. It is therefore advisable that those in charge of enforcing the COVID-19 protocols at our international airports must not only be strict they must also be seen to be strict. Perhaps the time to use the security agents to enforce COVID-19 protocols in our Churches, Mosques, schools, and other public places have come. State governments should stop the closure of isolation centres until we are sure that this invisible enemy of mankind is consigned to the dustbin of history through widespread availability of the vaccine. Till then, all hands must be on deck to support the government in ensuring that Nigerians observe the COVID-19 protocol and save the country the cost of treating COVID-19 infections.