Combating COVID complacency

Monday, 8 November 2021 00:44 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Today, some 70% of the country’s student population – Grades 10 to 13 – will be heading back to school, in what is bound to be a potentially seminal moment in the country’s battle against COVID-19. The past few weeks have seen the gradual reopening of the country, with the final easement taking place at the start of the month when the ban on inter-provincial travel was lifted. The move came amidst a successful vaccine rollout that has seen 92.5% of the country’s over-20 population receive both doses of a COVID vaccine.

This, combined with anecdotal evidence of the impact of the COVID-19 virus on double vaccinated individuals – many either being asymptomatic or having mild symptoms – has seen many citizens venture out of their proverbial caves and begin to socialise once more; a quick glance through social media will show you many in Colombo frequenting pubs, nightclubs and restaurants, with nary a mask in sight.

This has unsurprisingly begun to worry medical experts, who have been constant in their warnings that we as a society cannot afford to let our collective guard down. Health officials just this past week, in fact, have observed an increase in COVID-19 detections, especially among school children. As it stands, those below the age of 20 have not been eligible for the vaccine, but even if they were, this still leaves the younger kids unprotected. While sending kids to school is vital, the rest of society must also keep in mind their role in keeping the kids safe.

Vaccinated individuals out and about must understand their responsibility to their fellow citizens, especially the most vulnerable; yes, the vaccine may provide those who’ve received it an adequate level of protection and comfort from the worst of the virus, but it does not mean that vaccinated individuals are not a threat to the unvaccinated – the virus does not discriminate, and it can and will spread regardless of whether one is vaccinated or not.

It is this realisation that the Government must also push on its people when enforcing guidelines, especially with regard to mask usage, sanitisation and social distancing – the latter, which it must be said, has been sorely lacking in recent weeks.

There is also the fact that testing is still at woeful levels in Sri Lanka – on Friday a little over 6,000 PCR tests were carried out – which can only mean that the official numbers are more than likely far lower than the reality. While it would be nice for there to be more testing, that ship has likely sailed.

According to the WHO, up to 75% of the population must be fully vaccinated for the country to reach herd immunity against COVID-19. With data emerging that shows an incidents of breakthrough infections – where vaccinated people infected with COVID-19 can transmit the deadly Delta variant to others – even if herd immunity were possible, in the short-term, it might not be enough to prevent the loss of life.

Instead, the solution now is of collective conscientiousness. With a large swathe of the population – school kids – heading back out, unvaccinated, now is not the time for complacency. Yes, the Government must do its part and enforce guidelines, but it can’t be expected to be anywhere and everywhere. Rather, it’s now on us, the public, to do our part and ensure those around us are kept safe.