Of Covid-19 and Beliefs

 

It is another Friday. I know I am supposed to be write but the thought of writing this article is not sitting well with me. All in all, I will still do it. Before I write, I will have to tell you why I do not like sitting here to tell you about how the pandemic relates with your psyche.

In the same way some people religiously read Richie Online articles, I read a column called Talking Blues which publishes every Sunday on Facebook and on NyasaTimes. There is something unique about this column. While on occasion I have objectively disagreed with the content, most of the writings are something every rational being can and should relate with. Last Sunday, the article (rightly) accused the President of ditching his campaign promises to focus on the coronavirus pandemic. We at Richie Online agree. El Presidente has the tough task of taking us to Canaan from Egypt; Covid-19 or not. Moses and Joshua led the Israelites through the desert, didn’t they? Same difference. I probably deserve the hypocrite title for writing about Covid-19 for the millionth time, but I guess I just have to. So there you go. The hypocrite title. That is why I did not want to do this. 

I will not talk about the MK6.2 billion. 

Well. Maybe I should. I did not realize how serious this issue was until the Mikozi Facebook page posted a question on what one would do if they got 1 percent of the MK6.2 billion that the government is struggling to account for. Guess how much that fraction of the money is? MK62 million! That is more money than what will pass through the average Malawian in their lifetime. And to think that money amounting close to such a figure was used to “plan meetings”, one would wonder as to whether the people who serve us in different capacities actually have the interests of the nation at heart. If we happen to have demonstrations for this one, I will be the first one to paint my hair red and hold a placard. Anyway. This is not the issue for the day.

One of the daily newspapers in the country gave a pictorial focus that was aimed at showing how laid-back people are with Covid-19 prevention. I was to later witness the same when I was passing by Chadzunda market on the way to Mirale. Passing through the packed market, I saw no more than 5 people donning masks. This prompted me to go all academic to share why human beliefs will make the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic a tough one and what could possibly be done to fix the situation. The Health Beliefs Model on which I base my arguments and build this article is a well-known construct which states that behavioral change in response to a condition is dependent on how their perception of the condition’s severity and their susceptibility to it. In addition to the two, they also change their behaviors based on their health motivation and their perception of the benefits and barriers to the behavioral change.

In line with Covid-19, at first people thought they were untouchable and could not get infected. Most found themselves arguing that they were young and did not have any predisposing conditions that would put them at risk. What people forgot was that the need for prevention was more of a public health issue than it was a personal one. In the later day, however, most people have gotten to know the reality that Covid-19 can affect and infect anyone and most of us have hopped in on the prevention. This is because some of us have seen someone who is of a similar demographic get infected or succumb to the disease. While that may be unfortunate, it is working in the favor of common sense and public health measures. Out of town where people are not really affected and are not getting tested, people are not perceiving themselves as at risk of Covid-19 and are going about their business. Perhaps we need to prepare information to rescue them before they have their own Kiki Camarenas.

Then there is the issue of perceived severity. People’s reaction to public health advice and whether they conform to the proposed preventive measures depends on whether they perceive the condition to be serious or not. With Covid-19, many young people have been saying that even if they got infected, they would pull through as they have stronger immune systems. While that may be right, new information coming out of Malawi and QECH to be exact is suggesting that more young people are succumbing to the Rona in the second wave as compared to the first one. There are a lot of young people who I have known to have been infected including some that have beaten the Rona twice, but their stories do not mean that we should be complacent. Covid-19 remains a killer disease and prevention is essential. Then there is the issue of the possibility of you containing it but spreading it to a loved one with who may die of it. This goes out to those of you who pack yourselves in bars in Chilobwe when pubs in town close or go around with dirty masks around your chins.

With health experts giving out messages on how to prevent being infected with the novel coronavirus, there are different reactions. Generally, people are not fond of handwashing and sanitizing, but we are falling in line. On the other hand, we have seen people being resistant to measures relating to physical distancing and wearing masks as some think such measures are neither beneficial nor practical, perceived benefit and barriers.

One person wrote on Facebook that the masks we use have holes with a size of certain microns while the coronavirus is way smaller. You have thought about the possibility of the virus shooting through the pores of the mask right into your respiratory system, haven’t you? Truth of the matter is that there is a limit to which every preventive measure can work. On the other hand, the virus is not some sharp small particle being shot from a canon with a direct aim at your mouth. If you use and dispose your mask well, you will be protected. As of staying home, the simple explanation is that the virus moves around when infected people move about. If you stay home, you are less likely to catch it. Of course, that comes with the element of discipline and the impractical measure of not letting in people as much as possible. A sad story was posted about how affluent children grounded their parents and set up internet gadgets for daily video calls to shield them from the disease. The parents still died because while they were indoors all the time, the maid was moving about (and may not have been as careful) and ended up catching the disease. I will let this story hang like that, but you get my point and can imaging the way around this.

Then there are the perceived barriers to preventive measures. As I am writing this, I am not locked up in my house because I am at the office. I am trying to make a living in here and sometimes being physically distanced is a little difficult due to space issues. I am thinking of the person who hawks his wares at Zingwangwa market who may not have options but to still go to the market to make a living. These are real dilemmas but then there are those who say they do not like to wear a mask because they cannot breathe properly in it. In my experience, with the right size and material mask one can breathe well. We may need to stop putting out this excuse. And then there are the others who cannot stay away from the bottle. I have no issues with those. My main issue is with those who cannot be disciplined enough to drink at home opting to go out and be spitting on each other by the bar. In the words of the prezo, this careless and selfish behavior must stop.

Let me finish by talking about the vaccine. Now this is a controversial one as people have taken two steps ahead of the baseline of conspiracy theories. In one of my conversations, someone told me that they will not take the vaccine because it is the work of Satan meat to reduce the earth’s population. When I asked for the source of information, I was told that the source was WhatsApp. Information from that chain message or video you forwarded without verification landed on the wrong eyes and ears and now people have put their foot down in opposition of the vaccine. People who had jabs for the pox, for TB, for polio and all sorts of diseases are not questioning the contents of the vaccine as if they know the contents of the medication they constantly get from the hospitals for their ailments. The issue gets uglier when prophets get involved and begin to tell their faithful not to take the vaccine. Gentlemen. If the white man wanted to be tracking us or to kill us, he would not have needed for a pandemic to facilitate his plot. Trackers in the vaccine? If you are reading this, there is an 80 percent chance that you got the link through WhatsApp and if your location settings are on, Mark Zuckerberg knows where you are through his app. Ndiye ukuti chani iweyo? Shall we get the jab and get this over with. Pfiezer, Moderna, Sputnik or whatever. Tiyeni tikabaitse. Some of these may not be as effective as we may want them to be, but they are the next best shot as scientist work on better options. Eeetu. No one wants to kill you.

Having said that, I think we all have a duty and responsibility to prevent the spread of covid-19 which has the potential of collapsing our health system. I am not sure as to how we will conduct the much needed demonstrations with physical distancing when or if we need to because the reports that cylinders are being bought at MK5.5 million and ordinary meals at MK10 000 are pretty bad and demonstration-worth.

If you are close to Saulos Chilima, tell him Richie wishes him a Happy Physically-Distanced Birthday.

Happy weekend, folks. Be on your guard always and avoid selective prevention of Covid-19.