In the face of the global panic and emergency over coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, one finds it ludicrous that Nigerians are, directly and indirectly, making jokes and trivialising a rather serious situation. Indeed, it is rather absurd that, at a time when countries and governments are taking serious measures to curtail a pandemic with no known cure yet, Nigerians are busy sharing, on social media, information or jokes that are as annoying as they are foolish. It is a clear case of iberiberism, with due apology to former Imo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha.

The other day, I got WhatsApp messages trivialising coronavirus. I was not amused one bit. One of the messages said: “If you are experiencing the following: headache; poor eyesight; high fever; always out of mind; difficulty sleeping; most of the time in shock; easily get mad, can’t properly communicate; feeling dizzy, this is not coronavirus! These are symptoms of a person with no money. It’s called POVID 20 … Poverty Virus Disease 2020. Sharing on behalf of many … spread awareness.” Another message said: “2020 wedding list, Aboh Mbaise: 1. 12 yams; 2. 12 white tall goats; 3. 12 Holandis wrapper; 4. 12 Judge material; 5. 6 earthenware pots; 6. 12 cartons of hand sanitiser; 7. 12 cartons of tissue; 8. 12 cartons of facemasks. Did I leave any item out?”

There have also been other comments and messages by people, many of whom should know that we are talking about a killer disease but who have chosen to play to the gallery instead. We have seen video clips of religious leaders bringing a spiritual dimension to the coronavirus matter. We have seen people protesting the stoppage of religious gatherings, making it look as if government is against freedom of worship. Quite some orishi rishi!

Nigerians, as a people and Nigeria as a country, should be serious about coronavirus. Treating the pandemic with kid gloves would be fatal because, in a country where the hygiene disposition of people is low, in a country where response to emergencies is nothing to write home about, in a country where health infrastructure are not at their best, it would be a disaster if the coronavirus situation gets worse. At the time of writing this column, there were 12 cases recorded in Nigeria, with one death. Measures must be taken to ensure that there is no rapid spread of the disease.

First, the Federal Government must be commended for taking the initiative to ban flights from 13 countries that have been badly affected by the disease. It came late, but it is better late than never. It is also good that government has suspended the National Sports Festival as well as the orientation programme of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) nationwide. The order by some states to shut schools and, therefore, keep children at home is most commendable. It is also good that gatherings, whether social or religious, that involve large crowds are being stopped. That the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has also earmarked a huge sum of money as aid to laboratories in the country, at this time of health challenges is also commendable. These are good initiatives. All hands must be on deck to tackle this plague that is ravaging the world.

It is also noteworthy that information on how to prevent coronavirus is being spread by government and agencies of government. Indeed, that the Federal Ministry of Health, through the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), has been creating awareness on prevention of coronavirus is most gratifying. Particularly good is the advertisement entitled “Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Prevention,” wherein the Ministry of Health gave Nigerians preventive tips. The announcement advises thus: “Regularly and thoroughly wash hands with soap under running water or use alcohol-based sanitiser if water is not available; Cover your mouth with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Dispose properly into a dustbin and sanitise your hand; Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands; Maintain at least 2 metres distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing around you; If you have travelled recently from a country with widespread community transmission of COVID-19 outbreak in the last 14 days and you have a fever, cough or breathing difficulty, call NCDC; If you have travelled recently from a country with widespread community transmission of COVID-19 outbreak in the last 14 days, stay home and isolate yourself.”

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This is great. However, inasmuch as actions taken so far are deserving praise, the government and Nigerians still have to do much more in the fight against coronavirus. The government, the people and institutions must do more to prevent the disease. It is reassuring that, in some public places like offices, shopping malls, banks, schools, etc, sanitisers are dispensed on people’s hands as they come in. However, the question remains: Are these sanitisers the recommended ones? Are the sanitisers alcohol-based or just liquid soap in bottles that has no effect on viruses or bacteria? This is important to know. Besides, at the airports, there is no much seriousness at ensuring that there is no spread. There is everything wrong with not dispensing sanitisers on the hands of people entering the airport, boarding planes or exiting aircraft. This should be done and religiously, too, to ensure that people entering the airport, at least, have sanitised hands. This is the least that could be done in such places.

The airlines should also form the habit of dispensing sanitisers on the hands of people boarding their planes. In fact, this should be done at the point of boarding, whether it is international or local flights. Before people board the plane, there should actually be a routice of spraying the cabin with disinfectant. Inside the aircraft, the crew should give people wipes as they serve food. It is, indeed, funny that, at a time when there is a virus and bacteria spread, you see people who have used their hands to open doors, enter lifts and who had had handshakes with others using the same hand, unwashed, to pick food and eating. I see this on the plane, at home, offices, etc. In fact, you see people with unwashed hands eating groundnuts. People put their various hands in one bowl to pick such snacks as groundnuts. Dirty and unhygienic!

Those who see the order to shut worship centres as anti-religion should know that there is a difference between health and spirituality. A policy of shutting churches and mosques as a measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus has nothing against worship. One of the advises given about coronavirus is that people should avoid crowded places. Worship centres are crowded places. Telling people to stay away from worship centres is in their interest. People could observe worship in their homes for now, pending when things ease off. Churches outside Nigeria have shut down on their own, as part of their efforts to stop the spread.

Importantly, religious leaders should mind what they say about coronavirus in order not to deceive the “very elect” as the scripture said. I have heard preaching insinuating that if true worshippers of God exercise their faith, they would not contract the disease. Exercising faith is important, but we should also know that we must observe the tips given to prevent the disease. The scripture says “faith without work is dead.” The work we must do in the fight against coronavirus, while exercising our faith, is to take preventive measures. Religious leaders should, therefore, preach messages of hope, reassuring the people that this period will pass and continue to pray for them. They should not tell people that nothing will happen as long as they exercise faith.

These are indeed trying times for the world. Many countries, big and small, have been hit. Many people, big and small, have been affected. What the world needs is collaboration among nations to find a lasting solution.  The world should look for solutions anywhere it will come. The recent agreement the United States reached with a Nigerian Pharmacognosy, Prof. Maurice Iwu, to research on the cure is a step in the right direction. It does not matter that Nigeria, where Iwu comes from, was beaten to it by the U.S. The world must fight together. Stopping international travels and cancelling visas are just a temporary course of action, not the solution. While a cure is being sought, preventive measures should be amplified. Prevention, it is said, is better than cure.