Proactivity in the words of Stephen Covey in 'Seven Habits of Highly Effective People' intelligently relay thus:
Proactivity means that as humans, we are responsible for our own lives. If we think that our lives are a function of our conditions, it is because we have by conscious decisions/default chosen to empower those things to have control over us. We have let ourselves become reactive people are often affected by the weather. Proactive people carry their own weather with them.
Some sections of this quotation by Stephen becomes apt to solving the current tragedy called Covid 19 at this time and age.
Evidence reveal that Covid 19 is spreading fast like a wildfire. When it started, it was Wuhan, China, but today, we here of cases in South Korea, Italy, Germany, United States, and even in Africa. The only continent it has not gotten to is the Antartica, evidence reveal.
The mainstream media has not helped matters as they report virtually everything they hear and see without applying professional rules of news delivery to combat falsehood, reduce fear and encourage the world.
I listened to the way a media outfit reported the news of the death of the supreme leader Adviser of Iran died of Covid 19. It sent a signal into my soul that if such an ailment could get to those who are highly placed as this, then it means that the common man on the street is not safe.
It was reported that the United States joined the countries of those with Covid 19, with nine deaths recorded and 128 infected, the news was managed with all sense of caution to reduce public panic. President Trump went as far as downplaying the possibility of the spread of the virus while joining others private agencies
and institutions in partnership for research in other to proffer solution/cure for the ailment.
I want to emphasize in practical terms that our proclivity or proactivity to certain issues determines the level at which peace can be engendered in the society.
The Wayout
- Massive global effort: The very best way to deal with a case of this magnitude is to see this virus as global affair and mutually cooperate to tackle it. The world has become a global village that encourages the mutual sharing of research to deal with certain issues that confronts us.
I once commended the efforts of the Nigeria government in putting the final nail to the coffin of Ebola in Nigeria. The efforts was so concerted that all forms of division was not tolerated. Fake news was also curbed reducing panic among citizens.
Government of the world should discourage mass gathering of people in a public place at a particular time in other to affect a contraction of the virus that operates through breath.
Washing hands after Doing Certain Tasks
This is always important to combat all forms of viral infection, but especially now, ensure that you wash your hands for every 20 seconds, regularly. Soap works ideally in combination with scrubbing and heat, but medically, cold water works far better than nothing. I often tell people that they do not need antibacterial soap because the coronavirus is a virus, not a bacterium.
- Cleaning Hands with Towels
I often encourage people to clean thoroughly their hands with good clean towel after washing their hands. Its a good way to deal with cases like this.
- Avoid Shaking hands for Now
It’s not a clearly threatening practice, and physical touch has its own value to consider, as do gestures of respect. But I’ve been an advocate of just greeting, by mere mouth now that covid 19 is spreading.
We don't know who and who has it by virtue of what they have engaged or have touched but we do know that the virus is transferrable even by handshake.
- Avoid Touching People's faces
Avoiding touching people's face is a nice idea and would be a very effective way to check the spread of the Virus. This is because no one clearly can tell who has it. Those who have it may sweat at certain times in their faces and if you touch them at that time in their face, you have contracted it.
- Using Clean bathrooms
Here’s an unproven suggestion from me that transcends this particular outbreak: All business and public spaces should turn their bathrooms’ doors around, so you push on the way out rather than the way in. If building codes or other safety codes prohibit this, install a foot pull. If none of this is possible, at least put the trash can for paper towels outside the door so everyone can use a paper towel to touch the handle.
- Disinfecting common surfaces
The blunt fact about our focus on hand-washing is that you’re unlikely to get the virus from someone coughing or sneezing directly into your face. However, you are much more likely to catch the virus by touching something that someone else touched after coughing into their hand. This invariably can be partly prevented by disinfecting surfaces that we want to have contacts with.
Thanks for Reading
Vision007 writes from Lagos, Nigeria