The cough on board the bus
IWAS on the bus the other day when the man in the front seat gave out a thunderous cracking cough and didn’t even cover his mouth.
The facial expression of passengers on board was speechless, ostensibly from the overwhelming waves of headlines about the uncontrollable spread of coronavirus (Covid-19). That cough really did sound alarming, instinctively filled my thoughts with worries in light of this pandemic. Plus the many blessings I held back from the negligent individual who continued coughing on board a full bus without covering his mouth.
Not making a mockery of current circumstances especially in light of the fact many lost their lives to this disease, but the middle-aged guy next to me, who was busy on his phone dodged that first thunderous cracker as if a bullet was coming straight for him. We sat together in the seat behind the negligent cougher - he ducked below as the bus was moving.
I was caught by surprise, but the woman across the aisle could not hold back her laughter. He was almost kissing his knees and while in the ducked position spoke in a deep voice “woi! cover your mouth!”.
He then looked to me and with his index finger pointing at his own head making a gesture about the guy coughing in the front of us.
It was most hilarious, I’d say, I’ve experienced so far on my usual morning bus to work. Not everyone saw the active passenger, but surely noticed the cough and it wasn’t until another voice vented “cover your mouth”, the man finally reacted.
The guy beside me shook his head in agreement, gets back to a proper sitting position and robotically back to his phone. As he did, I caught a glimpse of name Covid-19 on the screen of his mobile screen.
Similar sentiments are being shared on social media about people coughing in public.
Even BBC breaking news of a woman deliberately coughing on another passenger in Australia. In a separate incident, a woman manhandled for coughing on board a jampacked passenger airline. Both may be far-fetched to compare to Fiji, but definitely not dismissive in any public place.
Then there’s a big fuss about “mad toilet paper rush” that’s got anxious citizens fist-fighting as supermarkets’ empty toilet paper shelves cause a nation-wide panic.
A famous video footage of women fighting at the supermarket shows a poor lady desperately tried to pinch a pack from the greedy lady while at Woolworth and both got nothing in the end as store manager seizes the trolley full of toilet paper packs.
Meanwhile, “what the heck is going on” is one of the questions asked by many social media users as Italy’s faces one of its darkest hours in these trying times.
Other users vent frustrations at tightening Fiji’s border security as
the killer flu spreads across nations.
But some praise should be given for Fiji’s first-ever test lab for the deadly virus. More so, maintain proper hygiene and cough or sneeze in handkerchiefs as health authorities have announced. Because somehow if one mistakenly did cough or sneeze one would probably anticipate what to expect after reading this. Here’s a message from the Fiji Ministry on the issue. Source: http://www.health.gov.fj/media-release13-covid-19-2019-novel-coronavirus/
The Fijian Ministry of Health and Medical Services advises there are currently no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Fiji.
As of today, 72 countries outside China have reported cases of COVID-19, with 30 countries reported by the World Health Organisation as having local transmission. In light of this worldwide spread, as an extra precaution, we are widening our case definition for suspected cases to include anyone with respiratory symptoms who have recently travelled to a country reported having local transmission. This should not alarm the public, but be an indication of the high level of alert and stringent preventative measures the ministry is proactively taking in response to this global outbreak.
The Fijian Ministry of Health and Medical Services wishes to strongly urge the public to not share rumours and misinformation. Just as we did during the measles outbreak the ministry will inform the public as soon as possible once we have a confirmed case. Use credible sources for information on COVID-19: How can you prevent yourself from getting COVID-19 and other diseases?
Frequently clean hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub
Avoid touching your face – especially your mouth, nose and eyes
When coughing and sneezing cover mouth and nose with flexed elbow or tissue – throw the tissue away immediately and wash hands
Avoid close contact with anyone who has fever and cough – stay at least 1 metre away
Avoid travel to mainland China, Iran, Italy and South Korea
The Fijian Ministry of Health and Medical Services is monitoring the situation and will provide updates regularly to the public.