EDITORIAL: To live or die is a personal decision
Dear Kenyans, if you contract Covid-19 today, chances of getting medical help are slim.
In Nairobi and its environs even slimmer. We are in the heart of the third wave and the attack from the new variant is devastating.
Not only is the disease becoming difficult to diagnose, it is eliminating people at an alarming rate.
The death rates witnessed this month are higher than in the October-November period when the country thought it had experienced the worst of the virus.
And the surge is worldwide: Death rates are hurtling towards the 3 million mark; Germany has ordered strict lockdown for five days; Papua’s health system is on its knees; Ukraine is warning of a very difficult time ahead after registering a record number of deaths; Yemen is considering declaring a state of emergency after a surge in infections.
The demographics indicate the virus does not discriminate. The old are as battered as the young. The rich are on life support as the poor.
It is worse when one has underlying conditions. But how many people go for regular health checks to determine their health status?
Many Kenyans only get to learn of their diabetes, hypertension or high blood pressure status when they are on the sickbed.
Such discoveries, in the advent of the new variant, are coming late in the day and proving too costly.
With the strained capacity of the medical sector, personal decisions are a matter of life and death.
Whether to avoid the crowd or whether to wash your hands; these are the decisions that will save lives.
Don’t risk life and limb when all you need to do is sanitise or keep a safe distance from the next person. These are simple steps but the most effective in keeping the virus at bay.
Easter is around the corner and this is usually a time for families to gather or Christians to congregate and commemorate the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
The Catholic Church has issued a raft of measures to ensure Catholics are in compliance with the Covid-19 protocols.
Other churches and believers should follow suit. Travelling upcountry is putting the lives of those living there at risk.
Do not thrill in momentary pleasure and live a life of regret. The government has come up with measures and may institute more, but ultimately it is up to you to make the right decision.
We call upon Kenyans to protect their own lives and those of their loved ones by making the right decisions.
