The entire world is presently in a state of ‘war’. This is not the normal war we all know of that involves soldiers with their ammunition. This is rather a war against an ‘invisible enemy’ with medical personnel fighting against it. But it does not end there, as this ‘unseen’ enemy is relentlessly carrying this war into the safe camp of humanity and extending it like wide fire. The name of this enemy is coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. As at 30 April 2020 (at 10:59 GMT as monitored by Worldometer via https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/), the total number of coronavirus cases worldwide was 3,234,836 with 228,597 fatalities. And with about 7% deaths by this statistics, the situation is still very frightening, as it triggers alarm of more deaths if the war is not vigorously fought.
Expectedly therefore, many world leaders have rightly called COVID-19 a war which should be waged forcefully against. This use of war imagery to describe COVID-19 has become very apt, as it is meant to make the people understand the seriousness of what humanity is facing. Yasmeen Serhan’s article titled: “The case against waging ‘war’ on the coronavirus” (see The Atlantic, London, March 31, 2020) captured this point excellently well.
It is not by sheer coincidence that President Donald Trump of the United States called himself a war president. The US has become the new epicentre of the coronavirus after China, Italy and Spain. The US as at 30 April 2020 (10.59GMT) had recorded over one million cases (precisely 1,064,572), and 61,669 deaths. Embarrassingly, New York State (with its New York City as the political capital of the world) is the epicentre of the virus in the US. New York State has recorded 299,691 cases of infection with 18,000 deaths as at 30 April 2020. By this figure, New York alone represents 28% of the total number cases in the US. Again, its death represents 29% of the total number deaths in the US. This makes New York in our view the dreaded battleground of the COVID-19 war not only in the US but in the whole world so far in this battle.
Just two days ago, (on 28 April 2020), the BBC released the shocking news that a top New York doctor has taken her own life. According to the report, Dr. Lorna Breen, a medical director at the New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital died on self-inflicted injuries on Sunday, 27 April 2020. This unfortunate incident demonstrates the frustration of those in the battleground of the COVID-19 war especially in the dreaded battleground of New York State where the health personnel have been overwhelmed physically and psychologically.
We recall that on 11 April 2020, the BBC in another report titled: Coronavirus in New York: a paramedic’s diary carried an eyewitness account by Anthony Almojera a senior paramedic’s in New York City (see https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52196815) who gave a shocking ‘minute-by-minute’ story of his physical and psychological ordeals while working for 16 hours daily trying to save lives across the City. According to Almojera, even though he has always been close to death by the nature of his work, nothing in his 17-year career could have prepared him for the outbreak of the coronavirus. With New York State recording more diagnosed Coronavirus cases than any single country in the world, Almojera regrettably stated that the state has the grim distinction of being at the forefront of a global health crisis. Describing what he called the toughest day in his career, he painted the war-like imagery of his experience in these words: “I put on my uniform, grab my radio and start the process of decontaminating my equipment. We have to wipe down all the radios, keys, trucks, bags and the rest of the gear. This virus can stay alive on everything. Nothing is safe – even your co-workers. In wars you see the bullet, you know who your enemy is. This is a war with an invisible bullet – everyone you come into contact with is a bullet who could get you.” I wish Nigerians in our big cities can pick this message clearly in order to actually take the observance of the social and physical distancing protocols seriously.
Describing further the ordeal, Almojera said that they get well over 6,500 calls from distressed patients a day. Continuing, he said, “we noticed the spike in cases around March 20, and by the 22nd it was like a bomb. Right now about 20% of the emergency medical services (EMS) of the workforce is out sick. We have a lot of members who have contacted COVID-19, we have members who are in the ICU and over 700 people who are being monitored with the symptoms.” Finally, for our purpose here he said, “I’m single and have no kids. This is the only time in my life that I’ve ever been happy that I’m single because I don’t bring it home. But so many people are worried about this…Right now, I have guys who sleep in their car because they not want to bring it home to their families”. Almojera’s personal account is pathetic to hear and we sympathise with these frontline health workers. What a pity for what is happening in New York State and particularly our New York – the city that never sleeps, the sophisticated and arguably the ‘political capital of the world’ which is hosting the United Nations.
Why are we bothered about what is happening in New York? We are bothered because since the announcement of the easing of the lockdown restrictions by President Muhammadu Buhari with effect from Monday, 4 May 2020, the lockdown psychological mode of Nigerians appears to be changing fast, as some people have even started jumping out of houses already. From news flying around in the social media, one can discern that some people think that from May 4, they are going back to their normal life with a business-as-usual mentality that ignores the hygiene and social distancing protocols. This group of Nigerians should remember the sudden rise (spike) in cases of infection (403 within 24 hours) in Ghana after what may be considered as a premature lifting of the lockdown order was announced. Nigerians should realise that all of us need to adjust to the new normal of this COVID-19 social and physical distancing etiquette.
Again, it will be ill-advised for some people to stubbornly disobey the ban on crowd-pulling and risky places including social, entertainment and religious places. Secondly, it will also be ill-advised for some habitual non-law abiding citizens to think that socialising like going to club houses located in hidden places outside the prying eyes of law enforcement agents, is the way to go.
Finally, what is happening in New York is a timely reminder to all Nigerians that COVID-19 is a matter of life and death as President Buhari rightly stated in one of his COVID-19 nation-wide speeches. All of us must fight this war with a high sense of personal responsibility, as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) rightly urges us. The government can do its best but the best results can only be achieved if people take the NCDC appeal for personal responsibility very seriously.
•Prof. Obasi, a public policy expert (& former columnist in the Daily Trust, Abuja, March 2003 to October 2006, & Daily Champion, Lagos, April 2005 to December 2008), is of the Department of Public Administration, University of Abuja. Email: nnamdizik@gmail.com
