Kem Senou Pavel Daryl, a 21-year-old Cameroonian student living in the Chinese city of Jingzhou. He became the first African person known to be infected with the deadly coronavirus and the first to recover.
"Africa should wake up and prepare for the worst," these are the words of Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General World Health Organization, at a press conference in Geneva after Sub Saharan Africa reported its first death on coronavirus. He further went ahead to point out, "in other countries we have seen how the virus actually accelerates after a certain tipping point".
Tedros sentiments, can surely send chills to residents in the region. This is because, over the last few weeks we have seen rising cases of the number of the novel coronavirus infections, and there is not doubt when we see health systems abroad overwhelmed, when it reaches tipping points here, we might not be able to cope.
But he does have valid reasons, to warrant such stun warning. Firstly, we have done so little to invest in our health system. Our hospitals are not well equipped with enough beds, medical equipment, medicine and even staff to handle everyday illnesses. Further our poverty levels remain high, a recent report by the World Bank "Poverty and Shared Prosperity: Piecing Together the Poverty Puzzle" showed sub-Saharan Africa has a much slower fight against poverty. According to the report, the average poverty rate for sub-Saharan Africa stands at about 41 percent, and of the world’s 28 poorest countries, 27 are in sub-Saharan Africa all with a poverty rate above 30 percent.
As a result of poverty we have a huge number of people living in the informal settlements, where the virus can spread like wild fires. These are people who live in make-shift houses. They have little or no access to clean water, let alone hand sanitizers and can barely afford proper medical services. Furthermore, we have street families, who neither have housing nor basic amenities to shield them from the virus. And so we are sitting on a ticking time bomb or are we not?
Truth be told the situation is dire but the novel coronavirus is not a death sentence. Since its outbreak in December 2019, more than 79,000 people around the world have recovered from COVID-19, out of 182,000 confirmed cases of the disease. Its some of the stories that we seek to highlight to give hope in times of despair.
Below is a message of hope from a qualified nurse;
“What I have seen a lot of are recommendations for how to try to avoid getting coronavirus in the first place -- good hand washing, personal hygiene and social distancing -- but what I have NOT seen a lot of is advice for what happens if you actually get it, which many of us will. So as your friendly neighborhood Nurse let me make some suggestions:
You basically just want to prepare as though you know you’re going to get a nasty respiratory bug, like bronchitis or pneumonia. You just have the foresight to know it might come your way!
Things you should actually buy ahead of time (not sure what the obsession with toilet paper is?):
· Kleenex,
· Paracetamol,
· whatever your generic, mucus thinning cough medicine of choice is (check the label and make sure you're not doubling up on Paracetamol)
· Honey and lemon can work just as well!
· Vick vaporub for your chest is also a great suggestion.
- If you don’t have a humidifier, that would be a good thing to buy and use in your room when you go to bed overnight. (You can also just turn the shower on hot and sit in the bathroom breathing in the steam).
- If you have a history of asthma and you have a prescription inhaler, make sure the one you have isn’t expired and refill it/get a new one if necessary.
- This is also a good time to meal prep: make a big batch of your favorite soup to freeze and have on hand.
- Stock up on whatever your favorite clear fluids are to drink - though tap water is fine you may appreciate some variety!
- For symptom management and a fever over 38°c, take Paracetamol rather than Ibuprofen.
- Hydrate (drink!) hydrate, hydrate!
- Rest lots. You should not be leaving your house! Even if you are feeling better you may will still be infectious for fourteen days and older people and those with existing health conditions should be avoided!
- Ask friends and family to leave supplies outside to avoid contact.
- You DO NOT NEED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL unless you are having trouble breathing or your fever is very high (over 39°C) and unmanaged with meds. 90% of healthy adult cases thus far have been managed at home with basic rest/hydration/over-the-counter meds.
- If you are worried or in distress or feel your symptoms are getting worse, ring 111 and they will advise if you need to go to hospital. The hospital beds will be used for people who actively need oxygen/breathing treatments/IV fluids.
- If you have a pre-existing lung condition (COPD, emphysema, lung cancer) or are on immunosuppressants, now is a great time to talk to your Doctor or specialist about what they would like you to do if you get sick.
One major relief to you parents is that kids do VERY well with coronavirus— they usually bounce back in a few days (but they will still be infectious), Just use pediatric dosing.
Be calm and prepare rationally and everything will be fine. Share this as it's great advice!"
We also know of Kem Senou Pavel Daryl, a 21-year-old Cameroonian student living in the Chinese city of Jingzhou. He became the first African person known to be infected with the deadly coronavirus and the first to recover.
Stories from survivors of the virus are varied some reporting intense fatigue and aches all over while others compared it to a common cold. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in around two weeks, while those with more severe ailments may take three to six weeks to rebound. Unfortunately the elderly and those with compromised immunity are at a higher risk of contracting the disease and the virus is more severe.
Please see https://www.itv.com/news/2020-03-17/how-these-patients-won-their-battle-against-coronavirus/ to read about more stories from patients who recovered from the virus.
While we continue to advocate for the government to build especial shelters for those who cannot self-quarantine, like for the case of street families. Make medical supplies easily accessible and affordable, and increase public hand washing spots, it is important to note that coronavirus is not a death sentence. Please do not panic!
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