IGNORING COVID IS RISKY

LEST we forget, the coronavirus or COVID-19 has claimed more than a million lives globally and more than 300 locally. Close to 50 million people have been infected by the COVID-19 globally while on the positive side, 32 million have recovered.

It is however, still a deadly disease capable of wiping out nations if people become complacent. Zambians have become too complacent to the extent of ignoring the wearing of masks in public. Public events have been held without people masking up.

It is worrying that Zambians have totally ignored the dangers associated with the COVID 19 and just how easily it can be transmitted.

According to health experts, the virus that causes COVID-19 is mainly transmitted through droplets generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or exhales. These droplets are too heavy to hang in the air, and quickly fall on floors or surfaces and therein lies the danger.

One can be infected by breathing in the virus when in close proximity of someone who has COVID-19, or by touching a contaminated surface and then the eyes, nose or mouth.

Between July and August, Zambia experienced one of its worst period as covid-19 spread through communities and towns and at some stage, everyone was fearful our health facilities would not be able to cope.

While the recorded cases have reduced drastically, this does not mean that the danger of infection has been eliminated. Far from it. As Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya warned yesterday, there is need for members of the public to take the masking up mandate seriously to avoid a second wave of COVID-19 spread.

The Minister has stated that the country has started noticing an increase in COVID reinfections hence making the mask mandate a clarion call to the nation.

Dr. Chilufya pleaded with members of the public to put up an act of solidarity with family members, workmates and communities by ensuring that they all mask up.

This plea is because the minister knows all too well just how precarious our situation is and that it would not take much for the situation to get from moderate to critical. This is the more reason that everyone ought to be listen to health officials.

Sadly, it would appear that the public has forgotten just how deadly the disease is and the panic that had engulfed the nation when restrictions on movements and some businesses had to be closed for close to six months.

Some businesses are still trying to recover and not finding it easy to get to that comfortable footing. Yet despite all these warnings, people are going about their daily lives as if covid-19 did not exist.

Perhaps the stark warning that the medical personnel have noticed that infections are spiking, ought to send some shivers in society.

Dr Chilufya cautioned yesterday that everyone should continue adhering to other public health measures and heighten levels of hygiene. "As we return to normalcy, maintain public health measures. Mask mandate is a clarion call to the nation. We further make a call to all to heighten levels of hygiene in workplaces, business, and households and at community level," he said.

He said cumulatively the country has recorded 16,819 COVID - 19 cases since March this year out of the 289,227 tests conducted with 608 active cases.

This is just an indication that unless the country takes protective measures seriously, we could be headed for a second wave of COVID 19.

This warning has been echoed by Zambia National Public Health Institute Director, Victor Mukonka who reiterated the call to adhere to public health measures to avoid a surge of the pandemic.

"Should we relax in adhering to COVID-19 measures, we will have a second surge. A lot of fear is with December, January and February," he said.

These are typically months when members of the public are more likely to be most vulnerable to COVID-19.

It is therefore important that everyone heeds the warning from the ministry of Health to mask up, social distance, wash hands frequently and sanitize where necessary.