WATCHING, READING, HEARING all that is happening abroad in countries like the US, UK, France and especially Italy is wise. It offers opportunities these aforementioned countries didn’t have. And so, it uniquely makes it possible for us in Nigeria to be better prepared for the task of containing the Covid-19 pandemic.
Italy shows us how bad things can get; the US shows us how challenging and demanding the task of containment can become; etc. There is now an abundance of facts for fruitful, necessary and rewarding futuristic thinking on the part of stakeholders in Nigeria. Let us consider some scenarios.
FIRST SCENARIO
In Italy and the US, the holding capacities of hospital buildings are no longer enough. Other buildings like hotels are being reconfigured, equipped and used as isolation/treatment centers. We definitely pray and hope our situation does not come down to this.
But should the scenario kick in, then the Covid-19 task forces of states may need to turn to Churches, Mosques and other public buildings for isolation/treatment facilities. Access to such facilities will not be a challenge as I’m sure many owners will place theirs at the state’s disposal. But will the state have the capacity to equip and use them should the need arise? Are state governments thinking in this direction? I guess much of their security vote is intended for times and scenarios like this.
SECOND SCENARIO
In some parts of the US, testing for Covid-19 has been restrictive. This came to the fore when a “Walking Dead” actor, Daniel Newman opened up about his trip to the emergency room after coming into contact with someone who later tested positive for the disease. See what he says: “I did all the tests and they told me because I have ‘mild symptoms’ the government won’t allow them to process my tests!” he shared. “They don’t have enough they’re not prepared, even though all my symptoms match. They’re only allowed to process ‘severe symptoms, elderly, or people recently in Italy and China’. It cost me $9,116!! and they didn’t even give me results.”
How bad will this kind of scenario be if the Nigerian experience of the disease worsens up? It is now common knowledge that by the time those “severe” symptoms manifest, a carrier of the disease must have infected other people. This is why testing is sacrosanct to containing the spread of Covid-19.
But how ready is Nigeria for the number of people that may require testing should we fail to contain this spread and the Italian situation kicks in? Are we going to have to pay for the tests? How much will it cost? Do we even have the machines? Will they be enough? Will our testing be restrictive too? Are our governments probing this scenario and preparing for it?
THIRD SCENARIO
There is the question of medical equipments. It has come to my knowledge that among the equipment for managing the current pandemic, the respirator and protective gear standout as non-negotiable. Many medical personnel will have more confidence handling patients with Covid-19 only if they have their protective gear on.
In the US, they have struggled with the challenge of making such gear available. In fact, even nose masks were seriously inadequate. And for the respirators, you have really little or no chance of treating people who cannot breathe on their own without a respirator. The US government had to import more respirators as their situation raised the demand for them to a level that rendered already existing ones grossly inadequate. If this scenario plays out in our country, hmmm….. But are our governments considering what can be done if it comes to this?
FOURTH SCENARIO
Lockdown, sit-at-home, self-isolation, social distancing, physical distancing…and many other words and phrases have been used to indicate what must be done to contain the spread of Covid-19. Unarguable is the fact that such state of affairs as is implied by these concepts hardly result from individual/group willingness; instead, in most cases abroad, state force has had to be deployed in order to bring it about.
It is true that avoiding social/physical contacts is important to the task of keeping this virus at bay and flattening the curve of its spread. It is also true that state force is largely needed to enforce it. And should we need its enforcement in Nigeria, our force men and women will be called upon. However, how efficiently and effectively they will do it is another matter.
Will our force men and women be enough? Will other vigilante groups join up? Will private security personnel be involved? Will citizens cooperate? Will there be abuses? Are we, civilians and men/women of the forces, being prepared for such scenario? Or have we settled for the usual when-we-get-to-the-bridge-we-will-discuss-how-to-cross-it approach?
