A commentary on the spread and perception of the Coronavirus(COVID-19) from an American volunteer in Botswana

           Looking out over a large conference room I can see the pained expression of the bridge workers searching my words for answers. What started as a simple health talk about how to protect yourself from the Coronavirus has now devolved into a lengthy discussion about the origins of the Coronavirus and quarantine procedures for Botswana. Their eyes rest on the brink of fear not knowing when the virus will come to Botswana, nor if they are healthy enough to survive it.

I am not an expert. I am a 23-year-old Peace Corps volunteer living in a village in the Northern District of Botswana. I hold nothing more than a bachelor’s in biology and 7 months as a volunteer in country. I am a novice to the public health realm, my knowledge stemming from accurate online resources strapped together with duct tape and a newly realized passion for public health.

The advantage to these fresh eyes is that I have no pre-conceived notions to the delays and struggles of public health. Every piece of new information received is tested and confirmed by truth before I speak a word to my co-workers or the people in the village. Every notion I have about health is the most recent development backed by studies and hours of research. The work is never perfect, but it’s important to always speak from facts and never an opinion about health.

The fault in my lack of experience is my language. Whenever you’re speaking in front of a group of people there is a perpetual scale you must balance upon. Using the right words, tone of voice and phrasing the scale can tip in your favor, but one wrong word can crack the scale entirely. This became painfully apparent during my last health talk in my village with my counterpart at the construction development office. In an offhand moment I mentioned that a virus is nonliving. To the engineers and managers of the office my statement confused them to no end. I then had to explain how many viruses act by reactions and don’t have any conscious thought like us. They only want to infect. A theory that is hotly debated among many scientists, but this wasn’t the time nor the place to discuss it. I had cracked the scale and lost the flow of information to the people. My role was to inform and educate, not to confuse. Back tracking, I quickly realized many of these people had never even received a basic biology course in their education. To move forward even an inch, I would have to explain the life cycle of a virus just so we were on the same page. In public health the power of a single word can carry the weight to move mountains.

With these pros and cons to my naivety this virus keeps me in a balance of hope and fear. Not in any fear for my life because I’m a healthy 23-year-old with no medical complications, but fear over the reaction of the public. Fear of a virus is a real threat, but it’s not tangible or physical. By that I mean you can’t see a virus. In the event of a terrorist attack, or a war, the public has something to hold on to and fight against. We are doing this for the war effort, or we are doing this to fight corruption of the politicians, but a virus isn’t tangible. You can’t see it, or feel it and you can only suspect it’s there until you’ve been tested. This is the ultimate challenge of public health. An organization such as the CDC or WHO needs to convince the people of the severity of the situation, but not scare them. Fear and uncertainty are the true enemies.

Fear will kill people faster than any virus and it’s already started happening. In Ukraine people attacked a caravan escorting Ukrainian nationals returning from China who showed no symptoms after a 14-day quarantine. In Botswana, an elderly Asian man working in his tech shop collapsed and sent people running for their lives fearing he had Coronavirus, he did not. In many countries there is a rising level of hostility toward the Chinese, many claiming this virus might have been engineered by the Chinese government. This is false. These lies spread rampantly through social media becoming a toxic infection of bias and underlying racism that can be more deadly than the Coronavirus. Yet, all is not lost.

The severity of this virus has been fully recognized by health organizations. With the WHO and CDC at the forefront of developing a vaccine, for every claim that the government is doing nothing there’s more evidence that’s not the case. While slow to react in the beginning, the Chinese government has now invested over 100 million into creating an unprecedented public health plan that has slowed the rising number of cases. They have even gone so far as to accepting the foreign aid of the US government in this endeavor. Bill and Melinda Gates have also donated 100 million to foreign governments and are also developing a vaccine. Work is being done. As a volunteer in a higher risk area my clinic was tasked with sensitizing the village about how people can protect themselves from the virus and slow the spread. Governments all over the globe are preparing the resources necessary. Some better than others, but what they can’t prepare for is our reaction.

If the fear of the virus sends people running to clear the shelves of food and water, then this will create instability. If stock markets go into free fall then we can fall into another recession. If anti vax groups claim there is a cure using natural remedies this might give people a false sense of security. If people believe this was caused by the Chinese government that will only increase the already building racism toward the Chinese. It becomes paramount we rely only on the truth because the risks are present, but the opportunity for success is even greater. If the public reacts correctly it’s possible to stop the virus in its tracks.

Washing your hands with soap and water has been shown to kill the virus. Covering your mouth when coughing reduces the spread of the virus from an infected person to a healthy person. Trusting public health officials when events or schools are cancelled will keep people at risk populations safer. This virus while deadly, isn’t unstoppable.

Public health rests entirely in the hands of the people. All public health educators can do is provide the information, but it’s up the people to decide what to do with it.

*All public health related information is taken from the reputable sources of the WHO and the CDC. Additional information comes from my opinion and observation alone. The photo is from a health talk several weeks ago with my counter part and I. Those who did not give consent for the image were removed.*

Final note:

Only after writing this did I come to learn of the deaths and spread of the virus to my hometown of Kirkland. Wash your hands, maintain your hygiene and trust the state public health officials. If you’re of healthy body, then you have nothing to fear. Panic benefits nobody.