There’s nothing here that you don’t already know [Issue 11. S3]
This newsletter is working from home, you should be doing the same
This newsletter is tired, as always
This newsletter will be short because only a few things are important
COVID-19 and why you need to stay at home
On the 28th of February, Nigeria reported her first Coronavirus (COVID-19) case. Since this discovery -- 3 days after the patient arrived--, the cases have grown fairly exponentially, with new cases popping up every other day. So far, we have about 30 confirmed cases-- but less than 100 people have been officially screened so there is no way to know for sure how many people have this very dangerous virus (yes, I realise that I said worse things have happened a few newsletters ago, I’m big enough to admit that I was wrong and we should be very afraid).
The virus is dangerous because even though it spreads as freely and cheerfully as a regular cold, it isn’t as lazy, or as predictable. With a cold, you know a few days inside, good quality tissues and a few teas will help manage it until it passes, but this virus is different. It manifests differently in different people, and no one knows precisely how it chooses who to punish-- though there have been reports saying it tends to hit older people the hardest.
Countries hard at work trying to manage the epidemic have suggested that the only way to manage it for now, as we do not have a cure, is to AVOID it as much as we can. This means:
Staying at home as often as you can,
Washing your hands obsessively,
Wiping down everything
Using hand sanitisers
Shying away from touching your face
Staying away from people for 14 days if you feel sick
Avoiding people who look or are sick
Some time ago, President Donald Trump FALSELY hinted that chloroquine, malaria medicine, might have some additives that could cure the virus. It turns out however that the FDA did not confirm this, but this did not stop Nigerians from selling (seeing that NAFDAC banned it a while back) and abusing the medicine. Now, hospitals are reporting higher numbers of chloroquine poisoning in Nigeria every day.
Stop it.
But there’s still hope. Doctors and scientists around the world are racing to find vaccines, and some have shown great progress. While we wait for their success (hopefully soon)...
Stay at home, Stay Safe.
We still have Lassa Fever, which was recently declared a national emergency, to deal with. We should have entered 2020 with our war gear.
Government’s response to COVID-19
The Federal Government finally banned flights coming in from some of the hardest fit cities. On the other hand, we have these state governors: Governor Emmanual Udom of Akwa-Ibom State for instance, debunked the idea that the virus is anywhere near the state (because apparently it announces itself with fanfare), and the governor of Abia, apparently fancying himself a prophet, said, in these exact words: “Abia is the only state that is mentioned in the Bible. We have a promise from God that none of these diseases will touch God’s people. And I hold on to God’s promise”
Mad, mad
But, not everyone is letting their idiocy show like that. A few governors have ordered religious institutions, schools and major public areas to close shop temporarily. Lagos State’s Sanwo-Olu urged schools to close during this period, and has banned religious gatherings of over 50 people (I’m of the opinion that he should have banned any gatherings at all). He also advised employers who can, to close shops, setting an example by allowing some state workers to work from home during this season.
When the government starts taking it seriously, it must be real. Stay inside
Atiku’s son has the virus and Buhari’s daughter is Self-isolating. But where is Buhari?
That is all. Wash your hands!
We are a part of a project that is hoping to journal the Coronavirus in Nigeria. There’s a document here about the project. Please reach out to Oluwatosin. Shoot him an email if you’re interested.