Dr. Manal Ghazzawi: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 10 March 2020:
Will the novel corona virus otherwise named as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) come to Sierra Leone? Indeed, this is a question all of us might be asking ourselves in our beloved mama Salone.
As it is called the novel virus, it is a new virus that we are learning about every day through rigorous studies, and through different cases that infected patients present with.
Initially, when we heard of Corona virus, we understood that the virus is being transmitted at a faster rate because of its long incubation period i.e. spreading or shedding the virus while an infected person is in the asymptomatic stage. Later, as the disease is becoming alarmingly pandemic, we learnt that the main driver of transmissibility is not its long incubation period. Confusing, right? Many public health specialists are yet to find out more about transmissibility and the disease’s severity.
Sierra Leoneans are like “Oh, this virus seems to be scarier than the Ebola virus disease (EVD)”. No, it is not, far from it. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), the case fatality rate (CFR) of EVD is 50% and has varied from 25% to 90% in past outbreaks. On the other hand, the CFR of that of the corona virus disease (COVID-19) is only about 3.4%.
Let us imagine, if the EVD had started in China, it would have definitely become a pandemic catastrophe that might have wiped out mankind. We have learnt that the COVID-19 presentation is mild and children are hardly being affected compared to adults. In fact, children are being infected from adults that are sick.
However, there is a higher mortality rate among elderly or adults with prior existing diseases like hypertension, diabetes, cancer and heart diseases or any condition that makes your immune system compromised.
There are lots of myths going around about the virus such as it not being able to survive in hot weather, well the answer is ‘We do not know”, there is a lot to be known and studied about this virus.
Most of us would have known that the SARS- CoV-2 is genetically related to that of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) which is also a corona virus that emerged in Saudi Arabia in 2012.
David Heymann at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who led the global response to the SARS outbreak in 2003, points out that the MERS corona virus emerged in Saudi Arabia when it was very hot. “These viruses can certainly spread during high temperature seasons,” he says.
Hence, let us not be complacent and assume that the virus may not be imported. Let us not forget that viruses undergo mutation, which is already the case with SARS-COV-2, in which there are two strains that have been detected in China – the L and S, the former being more aggressive and more prevalent.
Having the virus in sub-Saharan Africa or Sierra Leone might pose lots of challenges due to poor health infrastructure and an ill prepared response capacity.
However, there are lots of lessons learnt from the Ebola outbreak and Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Health is trying to put things in place. Now that the disease is pandemic, there is a lot that we can learn from China and other countries that have been affected and already developed mitigating strategies.
WHO, CDC and others has come up with many guidelines that public health specialists, healthcare workers and the community can implement. One of these guidelines that Sierra Leone currently falls into are the following preventive and preparedness strategies:
Activate the highest level of emergency response mechanisms.
Test National Preparedness Plans
Non-pharmaceutical measure
Rapid detection
Large scale case isolation
Respiratory support capacities
Rigorous contact tracing and management in national COVID-19 readiness and response plans and capacities.
Enhance surveillance systems.
Enhance rigorous application of infection prevention and control (IPC) measures in healthcare facilities, especially emergency departments and out-patient clinics.
Training of Health Care Workers on IPC and patient care
Assess population knowledge about COVID-19, adjust national health promotional materials and activities and engage clinical champions to communicate with the media.
If the ministry of health can confidently answer yes to the above then we are good to go. If not and preparedness is poor, the response will also be poor, and it will cost many lives of Sierra Leoneans. That is the saddest truth.
I can attest that Sierra Leoneans here and abroad are scared of what might happen to us if COVID-19 gets imported into Sierra Leone, simply due to our fragile health system. (Photo: Dr. Manal Ghazzawi).
We will be glad if the Government succeeds in changing our perception for us to trust the health system and be proud of being heroes in curbing this pandemic disease.
However, with all that has been said, community engagement is key. Government cannot do this on its own. Each one of us can be a pioneer in each of our communities, where we can make use of some of these guidelines and teach our people about basic handwashing techniques and the importance of adhering to respiratory etiquettes i.e. sneezing or coughing into your bent elbow or a tissue to protect others.
Simply, the use of soap and water after every contact or touching a possibly contaminated object is key in preventing you from being infected, and of course not to touch our face, especially our eyes, mouth or nose.
Also let not uninfected individuals waste essential resources like masks that should be reserved for use in the hospital by caregivers and those that become sick with respiratory illnesses. The virus is not airborne, hence the use of masks by healthy individuals is deemed unnecessary.
Most of all, stay informed on the latest developments about COVID-19. Follow advice given by your healthcare provider, your national and local public health authority or your employer on how to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.
Be empowered, let’s protect ourselves and stay informed, God protect us all.
About the author
Dr. Manal Ghazzawi is a Consultant Clinical Pharmacist, Chief Executive Officer of CitiGlobe and founder of KnowHep Foundation.
“However, there is a higher mortality rate among elderly or adults with prior existing diseases like hypertension, diabetes, cancer and heart diseases or any condition that makes your immune system compromised.” Could it be that the fear mongering that we are being fed to endure by experts and media outlets about the disease could factor in the cause of death of the already health compromised people? You know, when you add stress to an already stressful situation, the result of that can only go one way… Someone just told me that “the real flu is the virus of storytelling.” Maybe the gatekeepers ought to tone it down a notch.
Indeed we should all pray not for mother Sierra Leone but for the entire world. And many thanks to the good doctor for drawing our attention to some specifics. The world has indeed become a village, we are all now in very close proximity to each other – the powers that be must recognize this fact and stop creating divisions around the world.
As an African I cannot resist pointing out that the pandemic of the Corona Virus once again should educate the world that Africa is not the source of all disease outbreaks, it never has been. If somehow China had not been identified as the source of the Corona outbreak it would have been placed squarely on the shoulders of Africa , especially so-called sub-Saharan Africa because that’s where the darker skin people live. The same thing goes for the swine flu.
It’s time for the world to stand up and fight as unit, a disease does not know north, south, east or west, let alone skin colour ,it just kills – full stop.
We have shed too many tears in Sierra Leone in the last two decades, may the Almighty help given the state of our medical facilities.
The good doctor’s last line is priceless,”God Protect Us All,” he finally concludes – Love it! All the precautions,advice,and safety tips are highly useful,but not good enough to keep,and protect anyone from a tactical Killer Virus that stalks it victims,that pounces on its prey,out of nowhere,and eats them alive. Now,how will you prepare for an invisible enemy,that resembles the silent wind? An enemy,that may already be here lurking,among us,waiting to strike?
Listen, there are fights,that you must fight,but this is certainly not one of them -Take Refuge In God Almighty;Only under his wings,will you find safety,and security. Rising Sun Will Rise Again.
Thank you very much Dr. Ghazzawi for this uptodate information for our People to have some understading about this Sickness. Keep it up! Good-Luck and Success!
According to the CDC, older adults and people who have severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease are at a higher risk of serious illness if they contract the COVID-19 virus. This means that most people with Medicare are at a higher risk.
Your health, safety, and welfare is our highest priority. In addition to practicing good everyday prevention through things such as hand washing and avoiding touching your face, the CDC says there is more you can do to take precautions against COVID-19 and reduce your risk of exposure:
Keep washing your hands!
Avoid crowds, especially in poorly ventilated spaces with limited air circulation.
Defer all cruise ship travel worldwide, particularly if you also have underlying health issues.
Avoid situations that put you at increased risk, including non-essential travel such as long plane trips.