Recent Surge in Covid-19 Cases Causing Havoc Globally

By Winfridah Muthee

Though Coronavirus has had devastating impacts on business outlets countrywide, it has also helped industries to innovate. Business owners have had time to explore new approaches and technologies.

However, still the disadvantages of the pandemic outweigh the advantages.

COVID-19 restrictions have affected and changed people’s life and practice. The Ministry of Health briefings ,patients hooked up to ventilators, masked shoppers and use of sanitizers are scenes that we are already used to in this pandemic era and are already seared into our memory.

Last year many people were laid-off from their jobs in the middle of the Covid-19 crisis.This led to a lot of uncertainty on peoples livelihoods and well being.

Friday March 26,202, President Uhuru Kenyatta locked down five counties namely Nairobi, Kajiado, Machakos, Kiambu and Nakuru and suspended the Parliamentary and County Assembly sessions. Public gatherings of whatever nature were also suspended in the zoned Counties in a bid to slow down the spread of Covid-19. Curfew hours were also revised to commence at 8:00pm to 4:00am in the zoned area.

People loosened their guard and stopped being cautious. This led to a surge in the number of Covid-19 infections daily.

Some Kenyans argue that some top government officials need to get their fair share of the blame as they helped to spread the virus further during political rallies especially when they ventured ot of their posh offices to campaign for the BBI and the 2022 General elections.

Kenyans therefore want the government to help them get back to the pre-pandemic level and find ways to cushion them from the effects of Covid-19.

Projections by the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) show that more than 1 million people will be infected with Covid-19 by June 2021. This comes even after the President last week ordered cessation of movement to and from the listed five counties classified as one zone to help slow down spiraling cases of new infections.

Many people especially from the hotel industry have lost their jobs or experienced funding cuts, with little funds or none at all and in lockdown Kenyan’s are now worried that depression cases will go back on the rise,Children violation cases may get worse than they were last year.

The Kenyan medical system was unprepared for a third wave of the virus as is seen with situations of hospitals lacking oxygen supply equipment and less or none ICU beds in hospitals.

We are still facing the unprecedented global pandemic that snuck-up on the world in 2020 and to prevent a worse outcome in future sensitization on the vaccines should be done to dispel mistrust and myths of the jab.

Vaccination of high risk group is key since vaccines are a critical tool in the battle against COVID-19.

In Kenya those who have received the jab have not reported adverse side effects so far besides headache, muscle ache, tiredness and pain on the arm where you receive the shot, says Health CAS Mercy Mwangangi.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has in the past offered that vaccines are rigorously tested and reassessed before being licensed.

WHO further says one is considered vaccinated fully two weeks after they receive their second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Current measures to reduce transmission including frequent hand washing, wearing of a mask, physical or social distancing, are tantamount to reduce the amount of viral transmission

Globally, as of 29 March 2021, there have been 126,697,603 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 2,776,175 deaths, reported to World Health Organization(WHO). As of 24 March 2021, a total of 462,824,374 vaccine doses have been administered.

The Kenyan government says disciplinary measures will be taken against anyone caught flaunting the new containment measures put in place to help curb the spread of Covid-19.