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COVID-19 3rd wave: ‘Attitude of Nigerians worrisome’

The third wave of coronavirus may find Nigeria gasping for air if appropriate preventive measures are not taken by individuals and critical stakeholders, reports REGINA OTOKPA

For over a year, Nigerians have struggled to come to terms with the new normal, which involves the use of face masks at public places, frequent washing of hands under clean running water with soap, social distancing and the use of sanitisers. Although all protocols put in place by governments at various levels to curb the pandemic spread are still valid, majority of Nigerians on the other hand seem to have since moved on, returning to their normal lifestyles as though there is no pandemic.

At public places with a high number of persons such as markets, churches, mosques, beer parlours, social gathering joints and banks cinemas, restaurants, hotels, game houses, social functions, burials, and even hospitals, it’s no longer new to see the COVID-19 protocols being flouted by the majority. At the places marked: ‘face mask before entry,’ once people gain entrance, the masks are removed, the rule of social distancing is breached and the use of hand sanitisers has greatly declined.

These place Nigeria and majority of its populace at risk, as the emergence of the Delta variant of C coronavirus in the country has begun to spike the number of new cases and hospitalisation. The Delta variant known to be ruthless, is not only highly transmissible, it has surpassed the alpha variant with regard to its rapid rate of spread. The Director General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu immediately the first Delta variant case of Coronavirus was confirmed in Nigeria, warned that the whole country was at a high risk.

He insists Nigeria has a chance to prevent the sad outcomes of the virus spread in other countries, only if strict public adherence to public health and social measures were made a priority and maintained. “Please wear a face mask when you are in public settings, maintain physical distancing and wash your hands regularly. We also appeal to businesses, schools, religious homes and other settings to ensure that these measures are obeyed at all times.”

Worried the country is beginning to experience early signs of a third wave of the coronavirus, the Federal Government quickly placed the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and six states; Lagos, Oyo, Rivers, Kaduna, Kano and Plateau on red alert, to control the virus spread. Chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, advised the concerned states and the country to ensure strict adherence to the COVID-19 protocols, to avert an uncontrollable spike in cases.

“The PSC, however, warns that all States of the Federation should heighten their state of preparedness and continue to enforce all protocols put in place, given the renowned greater ease of spread of the Delta variant. These steps are critical as we begin to see worrisome early signs of increasing cases in Nigeria.” However, the peculiar situation of Nigeria suggests a more proactive measure from critical stakeholders if Nigeria must avert the ugly incidents happening in India and other developed countries, known for an organised and high technological driven health sector.

The stakes of blowing the infections to an uncontrollable magnitude are even higher, given the Sallah holidays which would create room for large gatherings, high volume of movement and a high density of mingling between the infected and uninfected persons. According to Prof. Oyewale Tomori, a renowned virologist, the Federal Government’s poor decision in the wake of a third wave occasioned by the deadly Delta variant, may spell doomsday for Nigeria if caution continues to be thrown to the wind. “This proclamation and red alert is the typical short sightedness and failure to be proactive.

COVID-19 goes where we take it; from Ikotun Egbe to Oba in Ndemili South or North. The entire country should be on alert. “After the Sallah holidays and the recent burials that violated all non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), celebrants who may have asymptomatically harboured the virus before and after, will travel and return to different destinations.

“PSC is basing its decision of the faulty towers of poor uncoordinated testings in the country. I say declare Nigeria at the reddest alert and not some states!” Given the weak health system and low numbers of vaccinated people as against the population, what Nigeria needs the most at this critical time, is deploying all necessary machineries to ensure strict adherence to the Non pharmaceutical COVID-19 protocols nationwide. Aligning in this direction, Director General, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Prof. Babatunde Salako, has called for an urgent change in attitude and lifestyle, bearing in mind the implications of a preventable exposure to the virus. “I will not say we have entered the third wave yet but it is an opportunity for us to prepare because a lot of Nigerians have lowered their guard and no longer comply with all the COVID-19 guidelines.

“We don’t want to have the kind of experience countries like India are going through; so, it is not only in the hand of the government alone but also in the hand of the people to do the needful. “The nature of the COVID-19, Delta variant, is that it affects people easily and with that knowledge we should preempt that. We must also get our isolation centres ready and there should be retraining of staff in getting ready for a likely third wave. “More importantly, we should expedite the process of the purchase of our vaccine to vaccinate a large majority of Nigerians and I am aware that the government is doing a lot about that.”

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