The need for accurate information
Addressing a press conference last week, the prime minister noted the situation is (currently) under control at Mater Dei, but is this reassuring? What would reassure us nowadays? One would assume lower figures are what keeps us at ease.
At least 214 countries and territories have administered more than 3 billion doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, barely a year after the first Covid-19 case was reported in China. Several different vaccines have been developed at lightning speed, in large part due to years of research on existing related viruses and billions of euros investment to accelerate the process. Now we are aware vaccinated individuals can still catch a weakened strain of the virus, but wouldn't it be helpful for us to know how many on the daily headcount are vaccinated? We need to know where the virus hotspots are located and what's causing the transmission. Is it large groups gathering? Restaurants? With accurate information relayed to us all, it leads to speculation and false security. Currently, we are under the impression it's just English language students spreading the bug between themselves. We cannot create these false illusions of security when the reality is we don't know. We need accurate real-time data and reporting in greater depth.
Soon after the world started getting used to the terms coronavirus and Covid-10, The World Health Organization coined another word: "infodemic", an overabundance of information and the rapid spread of misleading or fabricated news, images, and videos. Like the virus, it is highly contagious and grows exponentially. It also complicates Covid-19 pandemic response efforts.
"We're not just battling the virus," said WHO DirectorGeneral Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus last year. "We're also battling the trolls and conspiracy theorists that push misinformation and undermine the outbreak response." This is precisely why, locally, we need a precise breakdown, of tangible daily statistics, including not just age groups.
What happens if numbers keep on going up? How many are too many? What's the next step? With a recent hike in numbers locally, shouldn't we be better prepared for the next steps either way? Maybe another quasi lockdown is on the cards? Not one of us have the answer, but we need a clear road map for both eventualities of increased measures and the easing off – so we all know what happens next.
Life will continue. Conversely, with lockdowns of months, if not years, life essentially stops, short-term and longterm consequences are entirely unknown, and billions, not just millions, of lives, maybe eventually be at stake. If we decide to jump off the cliff, we need some data to inform us about the rationale of such an action and the chances of landing somewhere safe.