Covid-19 and the Dread of the Disease in Nigeria

Posted on July 29, 2020
by Chiedu Okoye

Covid-19 and similar trajectory

In the distant past, diseases similar to Covid-19 decimated the populations of many countries of the world. For example, diseases like influenza, Smallpox, Tuberculosis, Malaria, Sickle cell anaemia, and others usually come to mind. Also, one cannot forget in a hurry the recent Ebola virus disease outbreaks.

You may recall the story of the Ogbanje spirit and its relationship with sickle cell anaemia. In the Igbo metaphysics, an ‘ogbanje’ is a spirit child that dies in its infant age. The spirit child would torment his or her mother in an endless cycle of birth and death. And until the parents and/or relatives appeased the spirit child, the torment would not stop.

The introduction of western education changed the Ogbanje spirit narrative. Most babies who died in their infant ages at the time suffered from the deadly sickle cell anaemia disease.

Today, those with that debilitating health condition can live to a relatively old age. It is evident that the acquisition of health knowledge has helped to trump superstition rooted in certain cultures.

Thankfully, until now, medical scientists are steadily and fiercely working hard to find cures for diverse diseases. Diseases like HIV/AIDS and Cancer cause high mortalities in some countries of the world. However, we can hopefully find the drugs that can cure the diseases in the near future.

Pandemics in history (Plagues, Bubonic fever, Spanish Flu and Coronavirus)

Plagues

Pandemics have been ravaging our world since the Biblical times. The Pentateuch contains the story of the plagues which God visited on the Egyptians owing to the impudent acts of their king Pharaoh.

Bubonic fever

Also, history students are not unaware of the Bubonic fever, also known as the Black Death. It swept across the world between 1347 and 1351, killing millions of people.

Spanish Flu

Similarly, the Spanish Flu, which raged from 1918 to 1920, caused the deaths of millions of people worldwide.

Coronavirus

So, when we thought that mankind has built a bulwark against the outbreak of pestilential diseases, the coronavirus disease happened. The deadly disease started its deathly march in the Wuhan province of China. It then spread rapidly like harmattan fire to other continents of the world with its morbid consequences.

However, conspiracy theory had it that Chinese scientists manufactured the deadly virus in its laboratories. Consequently, then, the American President, Donald Trump, accused the world Health Organization (WHO) of being China-centric. Trump then threatened and vowed to stop his country’s lending of financial support to WHO.

In the midst of this, the COVID–19 pandemic spread to Europe, America, Australia, and Asia.

Coronavirus is decimating populations of many countries causing panic and fear among people. People get infected with the disease irrespective of their social status. For example, the British Prime Minister came down with the disease; however, he successfully rallied from it.

Covid-19 in Nigeria

The COVID–19 pandemic can pluck its victims from both the young and old demographics. The dreaded disease entered Nigeria when an afflicted Italian businessman visited Nigeria. Since then, the disease has spread to all parts of Nigeria.

Covid-19 has caused fatalities, affecting both the highly placed people and the down-trodden. Abba Kyari, a top government official, died of the disease. Also, the former governor of Oyo state, Abiola Ajimobi, died of it, too.

Efforts at curtailing Covid-19 pandemic

The world’s initial response to the outbreak of the disease was lockdown. Not a few countries closed their borders and shut their airspaces. Not a few closed their schools and public offices to stem the tide of the disease spread.

More so, almost in all countries of the world, the practice or culture of social distancing was enforced. Also wearing of face masks was banned to stop the spread of the disease.

In Anambra state, Nigeria, the government banned wild partying. In addition, they prohibited large gathering of people during wedding, funeral and other social ceremonies. The measure is designed to curtail the spread of the disease.

But, now, many countries unlocked their countries as they provided remedies for the disease. For example, government officials restarted the suspended English premiership league and other European leagues. In Nigeria, government officials reopened markets in many states for economic activities after months of lockdown. Similarly, the federal government reopened the airspace for domestic flights.

So, there is hope in the horizons, and light at the end of tunnel, that the people(s) of the world will, sooner rather than later, return to their old ways of living and doing things.

Setbacks to the fight against Covid-19 in Nigeria

Owing to the government’s opacity and lack of transparency regarding the dissemination of COVID-19 news coupled with some governors’ covert stance on the issue of COVID-19, not a few Nigerians believe the myths and legends woven around the disease. For example, the utterances and stance of governors Ben Ayade and Yahaya Bello of Cross River and Kogi states respectively may have deepened and reinforced people’s skepticism of the reality of the existence of the disease on our shores.

Are we really living in the dread of covid-19?

The myths and legends woven around the disease by ignorant people, some governors’ covert disavowal of its existence, and government’s opacity regarding dissemination of information and news about COVID-19 have continued to deepen people’s belief that COVID-19 belongs to the genre of myths and legends.

Consequently, millions of Nigerians, who live in our country, are not living in mortal dread of the disease, which accounts for their not abiding by COVID-19 safety protocol and measures like the practice of social distancing, wearing of face masks, and avoiding being in the midst of crowd of people.

Final Thoughts

It behooves the government to up its game in the fight against COVID-19. They can do this by creating awareness about the existence of the disease, and enforcing observance of COVID-19 protocol by the generality of Nigerians.

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