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Covid-19: We either unite or perish
Traders crowd Kikubo Market without following the standard operating procedures put in place by government to curb the spread of Covid -19 on July 15. PHOTO / ALEX ESAGALA
What you need to know:
- In light of a warning by experts that the Christmas and New Year festivities as well as the ongoing electioneering exercise could aggravate the pandemic situation, we implore every citizen to make judicious decision about avoiding crowds and non-essential visits, including travelling upcountry for merrymaking.
- Treat your safety, that of your parents and the elderly in the village as critical because the latter categories, either due to comorbidities or advance age, are worst affected by Covid-19.
Covid-19 has in four months from late July killed 224 of us.
The nation has lost 14 health workers, a number of government officials, entrepreneurs, retirees, corporate workers and ordinary citizens.
In short, the pandemic does not distinguish between the rich and poor, educated and uneducated and political friends and foes.
Confirmed infections now exceed 27,700 cases, among them more than 1,000 health workers, according to the Ministry of Health.
Medical facilities are overwhelmed. Some coronavirus patients are being turned away as the country grapples with managing what the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classifies as Stage Four of the pandemic.
This means the disease is widespread in the communities and source of infection or contacts cannot be traced.
Experts project Covid-19 infections to rise to 100,000 cases by April 2021 alongside a surge in related deaths. This is a grim picture.
To rally the public to unite and act to flatten the curve by preventing spread, three major newspapers in Uganda today publish a joint story and an accompanying editorial.
The newspapers are Daily Monitor, The Observer and New Vision. And on Friday, this week, NBS, NTV, Bukedde TV and TV West will collaborate to produce two synchronised news bulletins, which will be broadcast at 7pm and 9pm from a studio at Mulago National Referral Hospital.
Our investigations reveal that a single coronavirus patient requires upwards from Shs7m a day for treatment in intensive care unit (ICU). This is money beyond the affordability of most Ugandan households and, even then, a patient’s survival cannot be guaranteed.
It is on this basis that, as print media fraternity, we have today crossed the aisle and united to make a clarion call to all citizens to recognise the gravity of the Covid-19 situation in the country and collectively observe the preventive measures issued by our Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation.
These include mandatorily wearing facemasks when out of home, washing hand with soap or sanitising with alcohol-based solution regularly, keeping physical distance from one another and supporting the most vulnerable in our communities.
In light of a warning by experts that the Christmas and New Year festivities as well as the ongoing electioneering exercise could aggravate the pandemic situation, we implore every citizen to make judicious decision about avoiding crowds and non-essential visits, including travelling upcountry for merrymaking.
Treat your safety, that of your parents and the elderly in the village as critical because the latter categories, either due to comorbidities or advance age, are worst affected by Covid-19.
Dr Monica Musenero, the presidential advisor on epidemics, advises that: “With these rising numbers, we are advising people to stay at their homes, just send money to your parents, chances are high that when you leave after Christmas, your parents will be in hospital getting treatment.”
We do not intend to create a stampede, panic or stigma in the public. Our call is for us to ensure that we all adhere to the Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs). This health advice is for your own good and those you love or interface with.
“Let us as Ugandans try finding safer ways to celebrate where possible. If you have old relatives, explain to them why you can’t travel for the sake of keeping them safe,” says Dr Henry Mwebesa, the director general Health Services.
He notes that with Covid-19, travelling presents a risk of spread.
Dr Rhoda Wanyenze, the Dean of Makerere University School of Public Health, and a member of the Covid-19 scientific committee, warns that a rise in infections among the elderly and vulnerable will increase the Case Fatality Rate (CFR), currently at 1 per cent, like in other countries.
Personal bullet-proofing
Because everyone is at a risk of catching Covid-19 and potentially dying of it, the head of Covid-19 Quarantine and Assistant Commissioner of Health Services, Dr Richard Mugahi, urges all Ugandans to restrain from gatherings and do their personal best to prevent infection and spread.
“The elderly relatives are at a high risk and yourself might be having an underlying problem which means you can easily die of Covid-19,” Dr Mugahi argues in reference to celebrating Christmas upcountry.
We recognise the government’s fast and decisive early action in March that until now has kept infections and fatalities. But that was because of the public trust and compliance with prevention measures regularly proclaimed by President Museveni in televised addresses. This saved lives. As government and citizens, we should not drop our guard now after being exemplary to the world.
We must reclaim that trust and patriotic spirit, communicate clearly and act transparently to banish doubt and restore confidence in our ability to succeed collectively.
Health Ministry Permanent Secretary, Dr Diana Atwine, has indicated that rising cases mean health workers may at some point have to decide who lives or dies. This is starkly worrisome. Early action by us all can save our challenged health care system from collapsing altogether.
While noting the constraints in securing health commodities and supplies, we ask that the government lower the cost of testing for Covid-19 that currently hovers at Shs150,000 upwards.
Early detection means individuals will start treatment timely. Uganda made progress in the fight against HIV/Aids by encouraging citizens to go out, test and know their serostatus instead of living in the dark. We should apply similar campaign to Coronavirus.
Mulago Hospital Deputy Executive Director, Dr Rose Byanyima, reiterates the warning that most hospitals are overwhelmed.
Since the month of August, on average Uganda records 400 cases of Covid-19 every week. According to the ministry, 300 children aged 0-18 years have already contracted the virus. The Health ministry is opening auxiliary treatment centres to deal with the high numbers.
Way forward
We urge all citizens to listen to science and we also ask our leaders not to politicise the pandemic. Covid-19 may have originated from China, but life in Wuhan, the cradle, is back to normal.
It means collective action can beat back the virus and possible apocalypse.
Successes such as in the United States of America and United Kingdom are significant and seminal, but should not mislead our population to be complacent. The insular approaches and competition that states adopted in early responses to the pandemic, which debased multilateralism, signposts the possibility that the vaccines will be long in reaching Uganda and when they do, be unaffordable to most citizens.
For this reason, our safest bet is compliance with the Covid-10 SOPs.
COMPILED BY CAROL KASUJJA , GEOFFREY MUTEGEKI & BETTY AMAMUKIRORI,
