World Health Organisation: World must unite to stop virus pandemic
Crisis. Lockdown. Turmoil. Desperation! This is the state of the world that is now grappling with Coronavirus outbreak that has now been declared pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
What started as localised deadly respiratory flu outbreak in the Chinese City of Wuhan in Hubei province has spread fast across the world after defying all manner of efforts to contain it.
With no known cure, it has now snowballed into a global threat that has disrupted key activities— travelling, sports, trade, conferencing, learning and social interactions.
And with the declaration of the Conoravirus as a global pandemic, which has claimed more than 4,200 lives—and still counting—the world has been thrown into a spin as leaders, keen to protect their populations from the fast-spreading deadly flu, impose bans on any conceivable avenue to keep it at bay.
The lockdowns and self-quarantine measures are driving a what was two months ago a sane world into desperation with reports of people scrambling for essential commodities such as food and toiletry to stock up.
The other flu pandemics that have ravaged humanity include the Spanish flu of 1918/19, which infected between 300 million and 500 million people (claiming up to 50 million), the black death (75 million to 200 million lives in the years 1347 to 1351), and the 1968’s Hong Kong flu (1.1 million lives).
This is the kind of devastation flu can visit on the world—and as the WHO warned, its declaration is a call to action to stop this deadly virus with apocalyptic effects before it wipes the humanity.
US president Donald Trump’s latest ban on travel from Europe will further compound matters.
Though in order, it will have far-reaching impact given the centrality of Europe and US in global trade and travel.
Here, in Kenya, the government has intensified its preparedness levels; monitoring and testing measures. This is commendable and should be sustained.
This is also a moment when all look up to science, pharmaceutical world and even divine providence for combat this modern day virus.
In the meantime, for all nations, it is a race against time to stop the pandemic. No one is safe; it respects no race, age or status. It’s a matter of survival for humanity—and advise by former US president Benjamin Franklin; we either hang together or hang separately as we try to weather the Coronavirus storm, should be the clarion call.
