Coronavirus: Keep it simple, don’t Panic!
Over the past few days, as soon as the Maltese public heard that the coronavirus was in Sicily and that a few identified cases had tested positive for coronavirus, panic ensued.
This panic stemmed from a combination of reports and articles related to the handling of cargo ships, lack of training offered to healthcare professionals, social media conspiracy theories, reported (and misreported) mortality rates and the introduction of precautionary quarantine procedures.
This resulted in rash manoeuvres by the general public, including heading to supermarkets and bulk buying anything which might be of use in a presumed apocalyptic scenario should the viral epidemic hit our shores.
On the upside, supermarket staff have reported twice to four times the normal sales, but if one had to take a step back and ponder on such a scenario, one would observe a lot of people congregating in an enclosed space, which, from a public health perspective, could have been disastrous. If one of those individuals who went to the supermarket was indeed a carrier of COVID-19, the probability of all those at the supermarket contracting the infection would be high resulting in rapid transmission thanks to the snowball effect
Working as a nurse, I have been trained to think about preventative measures to limit the spread of infection in the small scale, however, prior to this, I didn’t realize the importance of how simple techniques can prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other infections
commonly observed in tight knit communities located on small geographical spans.
Hence, the logic of going to crowded places with the impending possibility of a respiratory viral infection is severely flawed. So why would someone be inclined to do so?
When in a state of panic, human logic takes a step back and the instinctive habits of self-preservation take over. Our fear of the unknown and of an uncertain future hangs in front of us and we struggle to rationalize such thoughts and emotions. The lack of information and erroneous propaganda currently being spread on multiple social media platforms adds to this uncertainty, creating a vicious cycle with mass hysteria brewing in its axis.
The possibility of people you love and care about getting ill would get anyone worried, however, we must not underestimate our coping abilities in such ecological scenarios or overestimate the morbidity caused should we get infected.
Going back to the issue of social media acting like a double edged sword, a local social media group, based on uninformed opinions and fake news sources, published bogus recommendations (such as bulk buying) without even providing practical and vital information on how to contain or prevent the spread of the infection.
Working as a nurse, I have been trained to think about preventative measures to limit the spread of infection in the small scale, however, prior to this, I didn’t realize the importance of how simple techniques can prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other infections. Simple habits such as washing your hands using the right technique and at the right time, maintaining social distancing of 1m when sneezing or coughing, following good respiratory hygiene, seeking medical care should you exhibit symptoms of illness, self-quarantine and following public health advice are all key in managing this epidemic.
Having said that, do not panic and seek good sources of information, such as the Malta Association of Public Health Medicine (Coronavirus Malta - Real public health advice) on Facebook, WHO COVID-19 outbreak webpage or the Public Health Malta Helpline: 21324086. Remember, in times of crisis, supporting each other is a must, especially the most vulnerable in our society.