Kenyans facing Covid-19 threat and must obey government directives

Declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization, Covid-19 has left a trail of economic, human and social loss.

From Asia, where it was first reported, Covid-19 has since weaved its way to Europe, the Americas and Africa. With each passing day, it appears more voracious. The US is currently the disease’s epicentre.

According to the Johns Hopkins, the number of infections have exceeded 700,000 while over 33,000 people have so far died. Governments are racing to cushion their populations from the effects of the disease that has overwhelmed public health systems; cut off global supply chains; and is actively shaping the conduct of international relations in unprecedented ways.

As the disease takes many economies hostage, two countries have won international praise on how they both handled the outbreak. China, where the virus was first detected, and its neighbour South Korea, have both turned around their fates by reducing infections and deaths.

WHO believes the countries provide good models for confronting Covid-19.

Out of their toolbox of disease control, three factors have been singled out to be responsible for the two countries’ success against the virus: speed, technology and culture.

Finding infected persons quickly and subsequent expeditious tracing of those who may have interacted with them, has been praised by WHO as a key factor in China’s triumph.

In Kenya, for instance, the government has indicated that they are tracing people, currently numbering over 1,000 who have had contact with the 59 confirmed Covid-19 cases. How fast the Ministry of Health will track and test all the cases, will determine the intensity of community infections.

But speed has to be aided. This is where technology comes in. South Korea deployed massive testing of the people, conducting up to 150,000 tests per day with results turnaround within 24 hours.

It is encouraging that Kenya is bracing to roll out mass tests. Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has warned, more Covid-19 cases could emerge during this phase.

However, successful execution of mass tests will significantly curl out high risk individuals; a significant step in the fight against the disease. 

Technology was also deployed by China and South Korea to keep track of infected persons and lower their chances of community reintegration and infections.

Mobile phone applications such as WeChat, were deployed to monitor people’s movements. This made it possible for healthcare workers and line authorities to know if and how patients were moving.

Such measures would have made it impossible for the patient who escaped from Mbagathi Hospital to pull such a stunt and risk the lives of tens of other people.

Yet a more novel approach to faster detect Covid-19 cases, where police in Shenzhen, China are using smart helmets to check body temperatures of pedestrians.

Besides real-time tracking of patients, South Korea rolled out punitive fines for those violating quarantine, up to Sh700,000. A possible jail term also await lawbreakers in both countries. 

If technology could be considered a hardware in management of coronavirus in China or South Korea; deeply rooted societal behaviour or culture, could be the accompanying software. 

Both countries subscribe to the ideas, and values of Confucianism. Societal responsibility is elevated above individual good. This has made it easy for the people to follow issued guidelines by the authorities.

While many parts of the world are struggling with ideas of quarantine and lockdowns; the Chinese city of Wuhan is lifting a two-month lockdown billed to be the most successful and major turning point in the spread of the virus.

The culture of Confucianism also makes it possible for the people to trust and obey authority as well as professional advice.

In Italy, where calls for social distancing in the early stages of Covid-19 infections were ignored; the death toll has exceeded 10,000, the highest in the world.

In Kenya, the government has declared a curfew between 7pm and 5am to stymie community infections. The response has been mixed. While a section of Kenyans have complied, some are brazenly rebellious, as seen from the ugly scenes in Eldoret town on the third day of the curfew.

While every country must undertake epidemic control measures commensurate to their knowledge, resources and unique societal disposition, it helps to benchmark with counterparts that have shown greater resilience and control of the disease.

Kenya has a chance to reduce infections. To do this, however, the citizens must come to an understanding and agreement that we are facing an existential threat.

It cannot be about government alone. Working together, Kenya too, can be a shining example of how to beat Covid-19.