OPINION: Did science let us down?
After receiving from a nephew a number of WhatsApp forwards that question the reality of coronavirus, I sent him a pointed warning: “I hope you’re not personally buying into this crazy idea that coronavirus is a hoax.” His response encapsulates the informational and policy turmoil that has followed the pandemic.
Early in the outbreak in Wuhan, China, it was reported that the virus was too heavy to linger in the air. On that assumption, face masks were deemed necessary only for the infected and their caregivers. It turns out that the assumption was mistaken. Now, many countries and municipalities require that face masks be worn by everyone in the public place.
For example, countries differ on when to re-open schools. In the US, most school systems are remaining closed until the next school year in August or September. In the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans to defer re-opening of schools until June 1. In Nigeria, states have pursued various policies. On the one end is the lax policy in northern states. On the other extreme is the draconian lockdown imposed by Governor Nyesom Wike in Rivers State. In between are states such as Lagos and Ogun that enforce lockdowns, but with a more human face.
In effect, after about five months of battling the virus, humanity is still groping? And that raises the question, is this a failing of science? Regarding the loosening of restrictions, however, medical science has been consistent in its exhortation: not so fast. The divergent policies are the product of political and economic pressures.
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