Some control measures may lead to more transmissions

Many countries across the world are presently grappling with the scourge of the coronavirus pandemic which started in Wuhan, China in December last year, and which seems to be outmuscling even the healthcare systems of developed nations. For now, the reliable ways of preventing the transmission of the virus among human populations are social distancing measures and good sanitation and hygiene practices.

Some countries have enforced the extremes of social distancing like movement restrictions, closing down all non-essential sectors, prohibition of gatherings of three people and above, restricting people to their homes except when shopping for essentials like food and medicines, among others.

All these social distancing measures seem to have worked or are working in places like China, South Korea, Japan, Germany, USA, UK etc. But this is because those countries have advanced infrastructure for online shopping, e-banking and e-transactions, robust social security and welfare systems, efficient address and biometric data management, and reliable utility service, etc. Those countries are therefore well suited to cope with the extremes of social distancing.

However, even though we should commend the efforts of federal and state governments, their various agencies and other stakeholders in Nigeria in trying to control the spread of the virus, some of the measures like curfew/restricting people to their homes and distribution of foodstuff and money by some states, politicians, philanthropists and others to ease the effect of the lockdown on the poor may in fact lead to more transmissions of the virus. This is not to undermine the efforts of governments and others, but to highlight how such laudable efforts could become counterproductive.

For example, some state governments have declared curfew for certain hours of the day. However, on daily basis, many people do rush to the banks and their ATMs to get cash that they can use to buy food, medicine and other essential commodities during the hours allowed. This causes a pool of large crowds of people at banks and ATMs, and therefore, potentially increasing the chances of mass transmission in those spots.

To be fair to banks, their security officers screen customers for temperature and fever, and encourage people entering banking halls to wash or sanitize their hands. But this does not happen at most ATMs where all the physical distancing measures are usually not observed or enforced.

These types of crowds at our ATMs during this pandemic may be biological bombs for the spread of the virus if there are symptomatic or asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 among the people.

Secondly, under normal circumstances our markets are usually open spaces bustling with large crowds of people and where most transactions are done with the physical exchange of cash. Now, under COVID-19 control measures, markets in many towns and cities are closed, except for those selling and buying essential commodities like foodstuff.

But restricting the opening of markets and transactions to few hours of the day will lead to even more intense rushes, large crowds and mingling which may lead to more transmission of the virus.

In most of the markets, there are no temperature checks and no hand sanitisations enforced. Under such situations, physical distancing will be undermined, if not altogether compromised. The same situation may obtain at motor parks, and on our streets, shops, supermarkets, food and tea joints during the period movement is allowed.

Third, the distribution of food and money to our vulnerable populations is a laudable effort by government, philanthropists and others. Such palliative measures are important and necessary for successful enforcement of physical distancing measures like stay-at-home orders and curfews, and therefore, for containing the virus in Nigeria.

However, such distributions usually lead to gathering of large crowds and mingling of people and in most cases, physical distancing is not observed or enforced. In such places, no one cares to check temperatures of people and hands sanitisation and therefore the virus can transmit easily from infected people to others.

There are many reasons why we cannot have full, appropriate social distancing for now. The first is poverty. The level of poverty in the society is high and many people would have to go out on daily basis to work in order to eat and for their families. Under that kind of situation, complete lockdown (24 hours’ movement restriction) is not possible and that is why even in this time of COVID-19 pandemic, many states have found it difficult to enforce stay-at-home measures. Some states have therefore been compelled to allow even a few hours of movement for people to get food and or to work to get food. This causes situations that defeat the social distancing itself.

The second reason is the prevalence of ignorance, myths and conspiracy theories. Many people are not well informed about COVID-19 and especially about the highly contagious nature of the disease.

This may be the chief reason why many people don’t care to observe physical distancing even when not enforced on them at the ATMs, markets, motor parks, shops, supermarkets etc. Also, myths and conspiracy theories such as COVID-19 does not affect black people, that our high environmental temperature and weather will zap off the virus, or that COVID-19 is for rich people and elite are some of the reasons why people are slow in accepting the enormity of the pandemic and therefore usually take observance of social and physical distancing lightly.

Thirdly, we don’t have efficient and robust housing and biometric data management systems where everyone is accounted for, especially for the purposes of employment, health, security and social welfare. If we had, these foods and other goods purchased online can be sent to houses with ease.

In conclusion and going forward, if we survive this pandemic and after it, the preparation for the control of the next pandemic should start immediately.

Dr Majiya is the HOD, lecturer and researcher, Department of Microbiology, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State, Nigeria. [email protected]