Complacency can increase COVID-19 pandemic cases – WHO

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | One of the greatest dangers that the world faces during the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic is complacency, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The UN agency says while countries were quick to put in place strict preventive measures to forestall the spread of the virus like nationwide lockdowns that have become common in Africa, citizens around the world are bored and want life to go back to what they knew before. If this were to happen, WHO says the trajectory of infections can change for the worse with more people being exposed to the disease than they currently are.

In some countries like the United States, some states like Michigan are protesting to have the lockdown lifted. There is a sense that the worse has passed.

In Uganda, after three weeks of lockdown, there is sense of restlessness with more people daring to leave their homes and go to work. People no longer seem to be scared about being infected with COVID-19.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director general while addressing the press today said that the world cannot get back to the way things were before.

Dr Ghebreyesus warns that if people become complacent or if countries hurry to reopen locked cities or states, there might be an increase in cases as experienced in some parts of the world.

He adds that while the WHO wants people to be safe and prepared in this new norm, countries need to implement the recommended public health measures together with other preventive methods such as lockdowns.

“Find, isolate, test and care for every case. Trace and quarantine all contacts and educate your people. The fight cannot be effective without empowering people. Countries that don’t do these six central things and do them inconsistently will see more cases and more lives will be lost,” he added.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been sweeping across the world for the last three months. With over 2.5 million cases reported and more than 160,000 deaths, data from WHO shows that all the countries in the world still have their work cut out. In Uganda there are now 63 reported cases since the virus found it’s way into the country.

According to the Dr Ghebreyesus, no country in the world has a good defense system against COVID-19.

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