No To Stigmatization
Many carriers of COVID-19 and relatives of such patients regard it as a curse.
Since the announcement of the first cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) by the government in May 5th 2020, many lives have been lost. The number of infected cases has risen to 2.579. But given the relentless efforts by which the government and health officials are putting to arrest its propagation and kick off the pandemic out of the country, a lot of progress to this effect has been made. Over 1.465 cases have been cured with about 114 deaths as of May 11, 2020.
To this effect therefore, the government from the onset prescribed a series of basic hygiene measures to be adopted by all such as; the frequent washing of hands with running water and soap, the wearing of face mask, the respect of social distancing in public places, the use of hand sanitizers etc.
Despite all these measures, many still regard the disease and infected patients as outcast or cursed. Many infected patients would not want to be identified as carriers of the virus and will try to keep it a secret for fear of being stigmatized. By so doing there is a great risk of propagation of the virus to the entire population. Such an attitude is dangerous to the community and may claim an entire nation due to its rapid nature of propagation.
We hear how hundreds and thousands of people die a day in certain countries but, the entire population of such countries remained in total solidarity against coronavirus.
Some infected patients refuse to be quarantined
Reports of such misconception of the disease COVID-19 abound in the country. As mentioned earlier above, some infected patients shy away to be tested and if tested positive, they refuse to be quarantined. Many such suspected patients have escaped from the quarantine confinement which they were to be on check for 7-14 days to determine their health situation whether they are positive carriers or not.
Also, some relatives have abandoned their infected relations in treatment centers for fear of being contracting the virus through which they will die, such is their belief. But this is not so. Being a COVID-19 carrier does not mean one will automatically die.
Furthermore, many people have pick up fight with health personnel for declaring their dead patients as resulting from COVID-19. What about cases where people have smuggled a dead relative due to coronavirus and were intercepted on their way to burial by administrative authorities following tips from benevolent Cameroonians.
We cannot win this battle behaving as such. It is a combination of collective efforts of the entire community. This approach has paid off in China where the pandemic originated particularly in the city of Wuhan. There are zero new infected cases. Same with Korea where they adopted a Test, Trace and Treat approach.
It requires therefore, a responsible behavior by all through reporting suspected cases, allowing free testing for early treatment if result is positive hence, a stitch in time safes nine.
