Some people , experts and non experts alike, policy makers etc , are saying we should learn to live with Coronavirus. It is here to stay , they say , in utter resignation.
How do you live with a virus that kills scores of people daily. A virus that takes away both the rich and the poor, the powerful and the powerless, the young and the old, the very careful as well as the careless.
I have seen men and women who have not stepped out of their abode since February and have been finicky about hygiene and their health succumbed to this virus. We are all becoming a play thing in its hand.
Young and promising lives have been cut short. Old men and women who toiled all their lives and looking forward to a blissful life in retirement have been suddenly strangulated by this unseen enemy. Health workers who swore on oath to give life suddenly finding themselves struggling to stay alive themselves.
I am in agreement with the American infectious disease expert Dr William Schaffner who said “ if we live with the virus we die with it”.
Living with COVID 19 is a death sentence for the people. We should all , rather be determined to exterminate it. Humans should not choose to live by this grim ripper that has disrupted our lives.
It is sad the number of friends and associates I have lost to this virus in the last two weeks. These were people with whom I exchanged the greetings ‘happy new year ‘ early in January.
They were healthy , fit , full of energy and with dreams for the year and beyond .
We all must be be determined to stamp out this virus. Acquiescence will kill us all if we are not careful. With grit and determination there is nothing we humans cannot accomplish. To give up on fighting this virus, the way we are going here , is very dangerous. We must give it a fight of our life, it is a fight for our lives.
May the soul of those who have died continue to Rest In Peace . May we the living be granted the sense to realize that we must come together to fight this common enemy.
N.B: Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Special Adviser (Political and Community Mobilzation) to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is a former Senator, activist, distinguished journalist and one of the founding Directors of The News/Tempo magazines.
