Covid-19 has wreaked havoc globally. Being an unprecedented occurrence, governments and experts have grappled with how to deal with the pandemic. Everyone seems to have an idea on the best way of dealing with the challenge. Experts do not seem to agree on what to do; Lock-downs, masks, social distancing, herd immunity, prayers. Everyone from epidemiologists to mama mboga seems to have an idea on the way forward. There is no consensus. Since this is a matter that affects all of us, we all have a right to an opinion, informed or otherwise.
This is my unsolicited opinion.
I think we should take the approach that we took with the HIV pandemic. Simply use the ABC strategy in dealing with the pandemic. The ABC strategy coupled with availability of testing services and public education on the virus has largely been effective in flattening the HIV infections curve.
A stands for Abstinence; people should be encouraged to stay at home and avoid unnecessary movement. But just like sex, abstinence is difficult; eventually most people will need to venture outside for one reason or another.
B stands for Be faithful. This means that we limit the number of people you socially interact with. If you must mingle with other people it is advisable that you know their COVID-19 status. This is where testing comes in. Knowing your COVID-19 status should not be mysterious and difficult task. It should be easily available at your nearest chemist just like the HIV selfie kits or pregnancy kits. The government should invest resources in developing rapid test kits that are cheap and easily available to the public for use.
This means that institutions can have a localized response to the pandemic such as conduct regular tests for their members. Individuals can also test themselves at their convenience. If one tests positive for COVID-19, they are advised accordingly in terms of isolating themselves and seeking medical treatment. Of course this requires massive public health sensitization on discrimination and stigma against individuals who have contracted COVID-19. The approach taken so far by the government has created a lot of myths and stigma around the disease.
Contact tracing by the government is not only expensive but also infeasible considering how the virus spreads. COVID -19 is not like a sexually transmitted disease where it is easy to trace the person you had sex with. Many people who have contracted the virus do not know how they got it or who they got it from. Just like the government does not know who has a flu until they show up at the hospital for check up, people should be able to know their COVID-19 status at home and then voluntarily go to hospital or inform the people around them.
C stands for Condoms, in this case masks should be viewed as protective gear against COVID-19. The public should also be made aware that just like condoms, masks are not fool proof. Proper use is necessary. Like the interesting condom demos we see during HIV awareness forums, the public should be regularly shown how to mask it up.
I believe this approach, among other measures should be helpful in mitigating the pandemic which seems like it is going to stay with us for some time. The government cannot afford to keep making declarations every day and castigating Kenyans. That energy and resources can be channeled to useful interventions that have been tried and found effective in mitigating the adverse effects of HIV in the country.
But who am I, am only a layman, my opinion should be taken with a pinch of salt. It is safer to copy the west and continue putting money in ambiguous interventions that are not effective but make the government appear like it’s doing something: Declarations, lock-downs, daily press briefings, chastisement of the public, curfews, more regulations and more declarations. As we wait for a vaccine from the west!
Fabio