There is a lot of misinformation circulating about Covid-19, which if not addressed could lead to trauma and stigma, experts have warned.
Medics and virologists we talked to, dismissed most of the myths around the pandemic, insisting proper hygiene remains the only solution until a cure is found.
Dr Rosemary Sang, the Chief Research Scientist at Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri), said maintaining hygiene remains the best way of managing the pandemic.
She dismissed the belief that people living in the tropics, cannot contract the disease.
“This is a far-fetched myth, no one is safe since the pandemic is spread by a virus which can be caused by one contacting an infected person,” she said.
The other myth, which is locally being taken as factual, is the consumption of alcohol to cure the ailment.
“Far from the truth, use of alcohol can instead be harmful as it lowers ones immunity allowing the virus easy penetration to the system,” she added.
The true position according to the researcher is use of sanitisers to clean hands every time one has contact with another person, or touches among other things, walls, doors, and escalators.
Dr Sang says that disinfecting buildings, which house many people and neighbourhoods could help in managing the spread of the disease.
Control pandemic
Another medic, who sought anonymity, says that coronaviruses have been with us for some time. However, they mutate very often and occasionally cause serious infections as is today.
It is a fact that 80 per cent of the affected people will have mild disease, but most people recover spontaneously.
However, for those who will be exposed, it may take 2-14 days before they develop symptoms, most people develop symptoms within five days.
The most common symptoms include fever, cough and muscle pains. A few people may also experience sore throat and headache.
Spread is by droplets that are released when someone coughs, sneezes, or blows nose, this is why it is important that if someone is sick, they should stay home and avoid crowds, practise cough etiquette such as coughing into a tissue paper that is then discarded, or coughing into the elbow and washing hands frequently.
Sang said China has managed to control the pandemic to very low levels due to the aggressive way the authorities were disinfecting neighbourhoods, especially the hard-hit Wuhan City.
She, however, acknowledged that it will be difficult for Kenya to order a complete lockdown since it will require the State to provide food and other needs for people.
It is also not true that the new coronavirus was deliberately created by people.
It is also a far-fetched claim that a face mask will protect one from Covid-19; in fact, for the general public without respiratory illness, wearing lightweight disposable surgical masks is not recommended.
People with a respiratory illness can wear these masks to lessen their chance of infecting others.
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