Living with COVID 19: The New Normal
I have been worried about the potential spread of COVID 19 in Taraba State. There are a lot of skeptism and despondency, for the right reasons, among Tarabans on management of COVID 19 in the state. Some feel the few cases recorded in the state is because there has been no enough testing…. I subscribe to this school of thought too.
But I think more than 2 weeks after our first positive cases and there are no “strange” illness or even dead, then it is almost safe to say, the situation is not as bad as thought or feared. What we must do next is to learn to live with COVID 19.
The negative effect of COVID 19 are glaring for everyone to see and there is no realistic end in sight. We can’t remain locked down forever. Thus, it is important we find alternatives. One of these alternatives is learning to live with Corona virus; The New Normal.
Before now, states are finding it difficult to pay salaries and carry out other developmental projects. Drop in oil revenue occasioned by COVID 19 lockdown world wide will only make things difficult. Unless we slowly and painstakingly reopen our economy, we may be risking a bigger catastrophe in on distant future. I see food and money crisis hovering above us.
We can reopen by…..
Buying More PPEs less Ventilators.
Yea, you heard me right. A ventilator, they say, goes for $10,000. That’s about N4.5m. This money can buy thousands of Nose masks, soaps and water and hand sanitizers to be placed at strategic locations. We’ve had infected people who became negative without having to go under Ventilators. So why spend too much money on an equipment that might not be used? Moreso, from experience, people hardly come out alive after being placed under oxygen in Nigerian. PPEs at this point are our best bet. This should be followed with aggressive public awareness creation.
Having Older Folks to Stay more at home
COVID 19 stats has shown that a greater percentage of people who died from COVID 19 are older people especially those with underlying health issues. Therefore, the older people should as matter of necessity stay more at home and ensure less contacts with people. While the younger people especially those with clean bill of health can go about doing their businesses while observing necessary guidelines.
Use of remedies.
Whatever remedy that seem viable should be deployed and used. Oyo State governor said he used carrots, black seed oil and Amala. I stepped up my highland tea intake and now I spice it up with garlic, ginger and lemun sami. Madagascar has shown us that it can be done. So let’s do it.
My thought on COVID 19 last week was STAY HOME. I don’t think it is the only viable option. Learning to live with COVID 19 seem more viable; for the sake of the future.
Kundila Epemilo Philip aka Sir Othello.