Coping with the second wave of COVID-19

Reports from across the country indicate that the expected second wave of the global pandemic COVID-19 is here in Nigeria.

As with the last time, Lagos tops the number of cases so far recorded with the Federal Capital Territory Abuja coming second. There are also a rising number of cases reported in 23 states across the nation.

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The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 in confirming this development has laid out guidelines for Nigerians to cope with the new wave of the pandemic.

State governments have also promptly followed suit to ensure that unlike what happened in the first wave, Nigerians are not caught unawares about the dangers of the second wave.

Schools have been closed, the wearing of facial masks at all times and especially in public places have been made mandatory and social distancing strictly enforced. Other measures like the washing of hands and prevention of crowding are also being enforced.

Down the line federal and state governments have not ruled out another round of inevitable lockdowns as happened during the first wave should the incidence of infections spikes to intolerable levels.

While these commendable measures signify that the authorities are pro-active about the second wave of the pandemic, we believe there is still much to be done.

We believe if any lessons were learnt when the first wave occurred, this is the time to apply them.

Across the country not only are the isolation centres few and far between there are no enough equipment like testing kits to enable health officials properly test as many people as possible in order to record and check the spread of the pandemic.

The government must also ensure proper training of personnel, mobilization of resources, and supervision of the measures it deploys in tackling the new surge of the pandemic.

There should also be stepped up enlightenment for awareness of the dangers of the new wave and compliance with measures to prevent or curb its further spread.

If the government intends to implement another round of lockdown, then it must ensure that the palliatives to cushion the effect directly get to the people to whom it is meant.

This is necessary because as the vaccines developed as antidote to the pandemic are yet to reach Nigeria, greater emphasis must be placed on preventive measures at this stage.

The goal must be to stop as practicable as possible the spread of the infections before the arrival of the vaccines.

In this regard, it is commendable that the PTF and health authorities have reportedly acknowledged and recommended the efficacy of Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions (NPI) both as preventive and curative measures.

In this regard, is the well-known and popular ‘’steaming’’ method where selected herbal extracts were cooked to boiling point and the vapour arising from this is inhaled deeply with a cloth covering the head.

It is believed that the vapour so inhaled will penetrate into the lungs and attacks the corona virus where it gestates and eventually mutates into the deadly form it takes.

Also people have resorted to taking a warm mixture of lemon and ginger and other spices for the same purpose of reaching the lungs and vital organs in order to deny or flush out the virus from the body system if they get infected.

During the first wave of the pandemic when the lockdown was in force this was the most widely used method in many homes and neighbourhoods which reportedly proved efficacious in many cases.

It is also instructive that around the world this method has been widely used in the absence of vaccines.

It should be noted that the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic could not have come at a more inauspicious time with the yuletide now upon us.

As people travel to meet loved ones and as celebratory festivities take place to mark the season, governments would no doubt find it difficult to enforce the preventive measures designed to curb the spread of the pandemic.

While government must do what it has to do under the circumstances, it behoves on the people themselves to do what is necessary to keep safe and well in order to prevent the spread of the second wave of the virus.

Against the background of our collective experience during the first wave of the pandemic, we cannot afford to allow ourselves be caught unprepared in dealing with the resurgence of the pandemic this time around.