Do you think COVID-19 is real? That, nowadays, is the most important question to ask as Nigeria gets deeper into what has been termed the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. The individuals’ response to that question ultimately determines their attitude to the dreaded disease and any information about it. Significantly, the response to the questions so conditions what people do about safety protocols such as the use of facemasks, hand washing, hand-sanitizing, and social distancing. Indeed, the answer to that question holds the key to the success we can expect in the fight against the coronavirus.
In my little corner of the earth, I have heard interesting responses. Please listen in: Well, I think COVID-19 is real but the media and government are just exaggerating it. No – there is nothing like that; they are just using it to make money. There is no COVID in Nigeria jare – what people have is malaria or typhoid fever, at worst. I have not seen anyone who has it yet; I will only believe when I see one case. Why is government not showing us those who have died from COVID? That disease is for big people who go abroad. That thing is a scam. What is COVID sef? Abeg!
Such incredulity during a global pandemic is itself incredible. I do not intend to explore the reasons people give for not believing but the fact is that many Nigerians still do not believe there is anything called coronavirus disease, whether the country is experiencing a second, third or fourth wave of it. When you walk the streets of Lagos (or any other Nigerian city), you get a sense of what people think about COVID-19. If you encounter a hundred people, you would be lucky to find 10 with facemasks. Out of those 10, at least five must have converted the mask to a decorative piece of fabric that supports the chin (you may call it chin mask). The more careful Nigerians permit the mask to cover only the mouth. They usually leave the nose open as a way of thumbing their nose at the disease. Thank God if you get two people with both mouth and nose covered.
Well, it gets a little worse. People are mildly stigmatized nowadays for wearing a mask. “Are you still wearing this thing, Dr Allwell?” I was asked when I went to renew my vehicle papers in September. Instantly, several eyes zoomed in on me. It seemed none of them had seen a facemask in a long while.“Coro don go now” was the final but gratuitous counsel I received. My response may bore the reader; so, let us skip it.