Stay safe, don’t drop the ball

Washing hands, Eldoret Polytechnic

Students at the Eldoret National Polytechnic in Uasin Gishu County wash their hands outside the institution on October 05, 2020.

Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • When Covid-19 was first reported a majority of us adhered to the infection prevention and control measures to curb its spread.
  • Sadly, we seem to have dropped the ball along the way as days went by. 

Call it common sense or ‘self-leadership’; as citizens, we all have a responsibility to follow health guidelines or risk worsening an already out-of-control Covid-19 crisis.

It is no doubt that all of us have been affected in one way or the other by this pandemic.

There is seemingly an undoing all gains made during the initial months’ effort trying to control the disaster.

When it was first reported, without a doubt, a majority of us took great precaution and adhered to the infection prevention and control measures to curb its spread.

People willingly put on masks, kept physical distance and followed government directives such as the curfew. There was a sense of personal responsibility to protect their own health and that of others.

This personal responsibility, and I would add, the profound fear of the virus at that moment, extensively slowed down the spread.

We did not actually witness the initially projected high numbers of cases and deaths. Sadly, we seem to have dropped the ball along the way as days went by.

The virus spread was slowing down and more people were recovering, hence, we let our guard down. The phrases “Corona hakuna Kenya” and “Wewe unajua nani mwenye ako na corona” became increasingly common.

Political rallies

Most people then began flouting the health guidelines. The water and soap and hand sanitizers that had become a common sight outside most businesses were nowhere to be seen.

Social distancing became a thing of the past with matatus disregarding this rule with impunity. Many wearing masks let them hang below their chins casually.

Restaurants clearly marked sections to guide in the physical distancing, but they were just that; marked areas that mostly meant nothing. Political rallies, without regard for the safety measures, became a common thing.

The result of all this is that Covid-19 cases and related deaths being reported daily began shooting up again, breaking previous daily records.

We are back to where we were several months ago, or probably worse as the virus seems to be getting out of control.

The gains made in limiting the spread of the disease and its effects are slowly rolling back. The health system is glaringly overwhelmed.

Our health workers are working precariously with several colleagues so far dead and others ailing. Families are devastated.

No doubt, it is difficult to change other people's way of doing things especially in a country like ours where we enjoy lots of freedom. However, each person has a role to play by taking personal responsibility to reduce the spread.

By zealously protecting ourselves, we protect our loved ones too. Desperate times call for desperate measures and these are indeed desperate times.

We may argue and disagree with the way the crisis is being handled by those responsible, but what we cannot argue about is its existence as well as its impact.

The virus is here with us. It is killing our family and friends who are vulnerable in various ways. We need to protect them by taking personal responsibility.

Encouragingly, the measures we need to take are not hard to follow. Practicing hand hygiene regularly, using our masks correctly and keeping physical distancing is something we can all do without need for any government enforcement.