Journalist on covid19: Panic worse than virus

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday declared covid19 a global pandemic as the new coronavirus, which was unknown to world health officials just three months ago, has rapidly spread to more than 121,000 people from Asia to the Middle East, Europe and the US.

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the announcement during a news conference at the organisation’s headquarters in Geneva. He said, in the past two, weeks the number of cases outside China has increased thirteenfold and the number of affected countries has tripled. He added that the number of cases, deaths and affected countries were expected to climb even higher in the coming weeks.

“We’re deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity and by the alarming levels of inaction.”

Ironically the news came during a seminar held by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) at the Hilton Trinidad to discuss covid19 and to help disseminate facts about the virus in a responsible manner.

Covid19, first identified in December 31, 2019, was previously referred to as an epidemic – a sudden increase in the number of cases of a disease above what is normally expected.

Children must be protected

A pandemic refers to an epidemic that has spread over several countries or continents, usually affecting a large number of people.

While the elderly seem to be the ones largely affected by the virus, children seem to have mild symptoms, according to executive director of CARPHA Dr Joy St John.

She said children's immune system was stronger than that of the elderly. However, she said there must be behaviour change for children in schools. St John said children must be taught about the proper hygiene and about taking precautions.

St John said while some people may be asymptomatic, it was possible they were still able to pass on the virus. She said 52 people have been tested regionally, with 42 of them being in TT. So far all the tests in TT have been negative.

Journalist and talk show host Natalee Legore said "panic is more contagious and damaging than the virus itself," quoting CEO of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association Frank Comito.

She said as media practitioners it was critical to source the right information and know when to share pertinent information, and when to hold back.

"If someone calls and panicking about how 'deadly' the virus is, instead of telling that person over 4,000 people have died, you tell him over 100,000 have lived. Instead of telling him how deadly it is, you tell him the chances of dying are less than five per cent and instead of telling him over 100 countries have confirmed cases, tell him TT is considered the eighth safest place in the world against the virus."

Ghebreyesus, in his speech, said several countries have been able to suppress and control the outbreak, but he scolded other world leaders for failing to act quickly enough or drastically enough to contain the spread.

Italy on lockdown

Cases in China and South Korea have significantly declined, but the whole of Italy has been locked down.

British Airways has cancelled all flights to and from Italy and everyone entering Israel has to be quarantined.

Italy has the most cases outside China with roughly 10,149 infections, followed closely by Iran with 9,000 infections and South Korea with 7,775, according to Johns Hopkins University data. In the US, cases erupted over the last week to more than 1,050 spread across at least 36 states, according to Hopkins.

The number of cases and deaths changes by the hour, topping 121,564 with at least 4,373 deaths across the world as of Wednesday morning, Outside China, 32,778 cases across at least 109 countries had been confirmed as of Tuesday, up from four cases in three countries on January 21, according to the most recent data confirmed by WHO, which tallies the official count.

“We can not say this loudly enough or clearly enough or often enough: All countries can still change the course of this pandemic,” he said. “Some countries are struggling with a lack of capacity. Some countries are struggling with a lack of resources. Some countries are struggling with a lack of resolve,” Ghebreyesus said.

The last time WHO declared a pandemic was during the 2009 H1N1 swine flu outbreak. Ghebreyesus said covid19 is the first time a coronavirus has caused a pandemic. The 2002-2003 outbreak of SARS, which is also a coronavirus, was contained enough to avoid that classification.

Khan: Panic, xenophobia must end

Former health minister Dr Fuad Khan called for an end to the panic and xenophobia surrounding covid19.

"An outbreak is when it is confined to a certain area, an epidemic is when it spreads around a large area and because it is spreading around the world it is called a pandemic. A lot of countries have it. It does not mean that it has become more infective, it means that more and more countries are getting it, it is spreading throughout the world."

The CARPHA symposium was meant to act as a medium to disseminate information in a timely and responsible manner, with the hype.

Khan concurred.

"I have been saying that and people have been cursing me. The media hype sensationalises covid19 to the extent that there is now xenophobic treatment of the Asian community around the world and it is all because of hyping a virus that is spreading, and it will spread, but the amount of deaths that are occurring per person infected is low.

"The percentage of people who have died as a result is not increasing to 20, 30, 40 per cent like ebola. Most of them had pre-existing conditions, serious diabetes, serious chest infections. In fact, if anything hits them they will die. I am not crying down covid19, but the majority of people who get it do not die. They get a mild illness and they continue going on."

Khan said most illnesses like covid19 were infectious. The common cold, he said, if not curtailed and someone coughed and sneezed on you, it is likely one can get infected.

"If the world wants to shut itself down because of covid19 there is going to have a serious economical backlash. I have likened it to somebody saying there is going to be a gas shortage when there is none and then everybody fills up their gas tanks and then creates a gas shortage.

"So what is happening is everybody is panicking about covid19 and damaging the world economy. They have created the damage and the xenophobia. TT has done as much as it could. What else can you do? You just have to sit it out. If people wash their hands and quarantine themselves, do not sneeze or cough on anybody, don't pick your nose, don't put your hand in your mouth, you will not get covid19 just like that, but you need to be vigilant. The xenophobic behaviour has to stop. Now you have the Trump administration calling it the Chinese virus, the Wuhan virus."

ANTI-COVID19 MEASURES

Personal hygiene measures are effective to protect yourself and your loved ones from covid19.

• Wash your hands properly with soap and water

• Use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser if water and soap are not available

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze

• Dispose of tissue immediately after using

• Cough and sneeze into the crook of your elbow if you do not have a tissue

• Avoid touching your face

• Stay home if you are ill

• Avoid close contact with people who have flu-like symptoms