As the world continues to battle the coronavirus pandemic, it is necessary to adopt social distancing measures aimed at curtailing further spread of the disease, DAYO OJERINDE writes
Wikipedia defines social distancing, or physical distancing, as a set of infection control actions intended to stop or slow down the spread of a contagious disease.
To maintain social distancing, the Federal Government and some states have banned gatherings of over 25 people, shut down schools and markets.
The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in a broadcast to all residents of the state last Friday, said his government had inaugurated a Neighbourhood Markets Scheme in which large public-school premises in Lagos would accommodate temporary open markets for the sale of food and household items.
Sanwo-Olu said the scheme would help to reduce the distance travelled by individuals moving from their homes to markets for shopping and to maintain social distancing among citizens of the state.
“As already stated, and I reiterate once again in the strongest terms possible, let us refrain from gatherings or congregations of any kind at all at this time,” the governor said.
Also, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control describes social distancing as efforts that aim, through a variety of means, to decrease or interrupt transmission of COVID-19 in a population (sub-) group by minimising physical contact between potentially infected individuals and healthy individuals, or between population groups with high rates of transmission and population groups with no or a low level of transmission.
“Community-level social distancing measures are needed in parallel with containment efforts whenever it becomes clear that containment alone is no longer sufficient as a means of delaying the peak of the epidemic, decreasing the peak magnitude to protect healthcare capacity, or protecting vulnerable groups at risk of severe outcomes,” the ECDC said on its website.
Self-Isolation
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Self-isolation means strictly staying at home or identified accommodation, away from situations where you mix with family members or the general public, for 14 days.
“Self-isolation is to avoid any situation where you may come in close contact with others (face to face contact closer than two metres i.e. five feet),” the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control said on its website.
Some of the social distancing measures, according to the information contained on the website of the ECDC include, stay-at-home recommendations, recommendations for the voluntary social distancing of persons, Closure of educational institutions, Workplace closures…
Stay-at-home recommendations
The Federal and state governments have recommended that those who do not have no business outside should remain indoors. This they noted will help to curtail the spread of the disease.
The ECDC gave a blanket recommendation for members of the public to stay at home and avoid mass gatherings and close contact with people, especially those known as high-risk groups.
It said, “Recommendations for the voluntary social distancing of persons, particularly the high-risk groups, in order to reduce transmission, avoid increased morbidity and thereby decrease the pressure to the health system.”
The closure of educational institutions
Primary, secondary and tertiary institutions of learning have also been shut down nationwide to curb the spread of the disease.
“Preventing contact among children is a known prevention measure in influenza outbreaks and pandemics. Universities and other educational institutions are also areas where large numbers of people congregate in confined spaces.
“In the studies of influenza outbreaks, both measures usually have the biggest effect when applied early in the transmission phase and when they last until the circulation of the pathogen decreases. There is also the need to prevent the meeting or gathering of youths outside the school in order to ensure effectiveness,” the ECDC said.
Workplace closure
Closure of offices, factories, retail outlets, agricultural production, construction, restaurants, cafes/bars, sports clubs and haulage/transport has also been identified as part of measures to curb the spread of the disease.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control also advocated flexible working schedules/shifts for employees, opportunities for distance working/teleworking, encouraging physical distancing measures within the workspace, increased use of email and teleconferences to reduce close contacts.
It also suggested reduced contact between employees and customers, reduced contact between employees, adoption of flexible leave policies and promoting the use of other personal protective equipment.
“The aim is to avoid transmission among medium-to-large numbers of people in confined spaces over extended periods. Depending on the proximity of people working in different workplace settings as well as the rate and nature of their interactions, different individuals and groups will be at higher risk of infection than others,” the Centre added.
Measures for special populations
Measures to limit outside visitors and limit the contact between the inmates/patients in confined settings, such as long-term care facilities, either for the elderly or persons with special needs, psychiatric institutions, homeless shelters and prisons.
“These institutions, which house a large per cent of people in high-risk groups for severe disease and poor outcome, are often densely populated and outbreaks of COVID-19 can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. Measures should be applied early in the outbreak and be continued until the circulation of COVID-19 decreases in the community,” European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said.
Suspension of gatherings and meetings
Cultural events, sporting events, festivals, faith-based events, conferences, meetings, trade fairs have also been advised to be suspended until further notice.
According to the ECDC, limiting contact between high-incidence areas and those with none or low levels of transmission is important, while religious leaders who play a strong role in shaping opinions need to be engaged early in the process in order to facilitate adherence.
NCDC COVID-19 guide for safe mass gatherings in Nigeria
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control noted that mass gatherings have the potential for serious public health consequences if they are not planned and managed carefully.
It said, “Mass gatherings can amplify the spread of infectious diseases, including coronavirus disease (COVID-19), where this is circulating. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control is constantly monitoring the epidemiological situation in the country.”
The NCDC offers the following guidance with key planning considerations for organisers currently planning mass gatherings in view of the COVID-19 outbreak. They include:
- Religious events, such as church services, calls to prayer, prayer meetings and other gatherings
- Sporting events
- Social events, such as weddings, funerals, parties, concerts
- Others, for example: youth service camps, conferences, exhibitions, et cetera.
“Organisers of such events must ensure that adequate preparation is in place, before hosting. They should consider using distancing measures to reduce close contact among people during the gathering by providing more entry and exit points, more food points and ensuring that handwashing facilities (with soap and water) are readily available at entry and exit points,” the NCDC said.