body-container-line-1

Message To Young Ghanaians On The Coronavirus Disease

By Michael Sarfo
Health Message To Young Ghanaians On The Coronavirus Disease
MAR 19, 2020 LISTEN

Since the announcement of the coronavirus infection, many ideas and concerns have been expressed on it, some of which cannot be fathomed. The World Health Organization has declared this disease as pandemic and advocates strongly for personal protection and precautions.

Ghana has so far recorded 11 cases of the COVID-19, which has called for a national emergency precaution like distancing ourselves from people and practising good personal hygiene such as the washing of hands regularly with soap and under running water; covering of mouth when sneezing with your bent elbow or disposable tissue; and avoidance of handshakes, to mention but a few.

The Author The Author

These are very vital measures to be taken by all to limit the spread of this infection. But to achieve this, the centre of these precautionary measures is the young Ghanaian and the question is why? As the new coronavirus sweeps across much of the world with recorded cases exceeding 160,000, there is one country that seems to have things under control, despite being just 110 miles from China and having experienced its first case on 21st January 2020. Taiwan has only 67 cases as of March 16th, 2020. This was achieved not jokingly but with the collective effort of the citizens and the government: 'This is me and your task’.

Ghana has griped with great fear and consternation after it recorded eleven cases of the coronavirus disease within a week. As young Ghanaians, we share a great contribution to the mitigation of this disease. As there has been suspended on mass gatherings and activities that call for many people and temporary closure of schools as declared by the president of the Republic of Ghana, where do you as a student intend to spend your free days? How impactful are you going to be to the community and the family you stay in?

It is known that young people and children are unlikely to develop serious symptoms but the unfortunate thing is that it appears they carry the disease and can still pass it on to older people who have a much greater risk of dying from it. In China, people under 40 years appear to have a 0.2% chance of death if they catch the disease while those over 80 years the risk is 21.9%.

As young Ghanaians, our responsibility towards the alleviation of this COVID-19 is to strictly adhere to the precautionary measures outlined by WHO and Ministry of health and starving ourselves within this few periods declared as national distancing time. Because most of the young people have a small chance of the disease as traced from China, they are potential carriers of the disease and be spreading to our parents and the entire family especially those who may have weak immunity.

I advise that students and apprentices should demonstrate self-quarantining and distancing by utilizing our personal entertaining tools such as computers and mobile phones indoors when one feels bored and lonely until further notice.

As young people, we should know that stressful work, smoking, blood transfusion, surgery, and malnutrition are all risk factors for immune depression which when allowed to occur will cause the immune system to falter hence making the body liable to any infection including the coronavirus disease.

Education to the people in our homes should be stressed upon for the safety of the entire family and the nation at large. We are believing in the government to work assiduously to clamp this disease down for the resuming of youth and social gathering and other closed down organizations for the flourishing of our dear nation, Ghana.

Long live Ghana!!!

Written by

Sarfo Michael

PASAG PRESIDENT

PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT STUDENT

PRESBYTERIAN UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

body-container-line