The outbreak of Corona virus disease otherwise known as Covid-19 in a small city of Wuhan in China sometime in November 2019, which many thought was a child’s play, has gradually spread it monstrous and dreaded presence to virtually all nations of the world, with humans as its main target, leaving a disastrous toll on the global economy.
Within few months of its outbreak, Covid-19 has dominated world discourse more than any other infectious disease, particularly because of the rapidity of its spread and the fatality rate. Human population in Wuhan, China, was seriously affected, raising concern that it would wipe out the populace as a result of the dreaded pandemic.
Available data have shown that corona virus disease has successfully crisscrossed virtually all continents of the world, using humans, the known main carrier as its vessels; though its further spread from one place to the other could be avoidable.
Today, a larger number of countries in Europe, America, Asia and Africa have had their fair share of this pandemic with a skyrocketing data churned out daily as confirmed number of persons infected with Covid-19 with a rising death toll.
One significant lesson yet worrisome about the corona virus pandemic is that the disease would usually come in with a sweeping speed; one infected person could infect as many people he or she may have had close contact with, simply due to its highly infectious nature.
According to a survey conducted and published by Conor Steward Online Publishers on May 27, 2020, there were 2,001,393 confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) across the whole of Europe since the first confirmed cases in France on January 25. Russia has been the worst affected country in Europe with 353,427 confirmed cases, followed by the United Kingdom with 261,184 cases. Spain and Italy have over 235,000 and 230,000 cases respectively. About 356,042 people have died from COVID-19, while 5.7million infections have been confirmed in at least 188 countries and territories. More than 1.7million people have recovered to date, here are some of the countries that have so far comfirmed corona virus cases:
United States: 1.699,933 cases – 100,442 deaths
Brazil: 411,821 cases – 25,598 deaths
Russia: 370,680 cases – 4,142 deaths
United Kingdom: 268,618 cases – 37,542 deaths
Spain: 236,259 cases – 27,117 deaths
Italy: 231,139 cases – 33,072 deaths
France: 183,038 cases – 28,599 deaths
Germany: 181,524 cases – 8,449 deaths
AFRICA
South Africa: 25,937 cases – 552 deaths
Nigeria: 8,733 cases – 254 deaths
Today, Covid-19 is feared by even the supposed world powers because it’s not a respecter of political, economic, social status, or colour.
Nigeria, the known giant of Africa, is not left out in the devastating effect of the deadly global pandemic with a total of 8,733 confirmed cases with 254 deaths have been recorded till date.
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Many experts in Nigeria believe that the corona virus disease could gradually wipe off human race and destroy global economy if not properly checked, hence the need to commend the effort of President Muhammadu Buhari in rising to the occasion with different proactive measures to address the issue of Covid-19 pandemic holistically, not leaving any stone unturned.
Many palliative measures from high spirited groups, corporate entities and individuals across the country is worth applauding.
The world is presently experiencing total lockdown, adopting several strategies; although reactive, to curb further spread of the dreaded disease, and Nigeria being a global community in this regard, is not left out in fashioning out the best and possible ways to tackle Covid-19 in the country, since the first case was reported on February 28, 2020.
Notwithstanding the preventive measures adopted by the Federal Government, the disease has continued to spread its tentacles across the different states of the federation with Lagos being the worst hit with the highest confirmed case of 132.
With the closure of borders, stay at home order declared by both Federal and States Government as well as total lockdown strategies with total compliance and cooperation from the citizens, it is believed that Covid-19 scourge will be drastically reduced.
The government of the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT are not equally resting on their oars, but rather, different orders, measures and strategies have been put in place in a bid to not only control further spread but educate the general public on the possible signs, symptoms associated with the disease as the number of affected cases have continued to increase exponentially.
The role of all citizens in the current fight against this dreaded pandemic called Covid-19 and its biting effects on both human lives and the country’s economy cannot be overemphasized.
