By Musa Kamara
Part 1
The then epidemic, pandemic and now endemic novel Coronavirus continue to claim lives across the world at a very fast and alarming pace on a daily basis. The World Health Organization (WHO) prescribed “Precautionary Measures,” one of which has to do with the wearing of face masks. Countries across the world are putting stringent measures for people to see the need for face masks, Sierra Leone is no exception.
Narrowing my research to Sierra Leone, my beloved country, I am yet to see a systematic education on mask down, that is to say the campaign for hygienically removing the face masks after use.
Whenever I move, be it as a pedestrian or a passenger across neighborhoods and communities, I saw some people with masks on their faces or hanging on their chins or clinging on their fingers. But my survey with most of those on masks especially the layman is nothing good to write about or is it a deliberate attempt to substitute their lives for the Coronavirus?
Putting on face mask is very essential for survival amid the Coronavirus, but do you know that the misuse of face masks kills? Yes, I can categorically tell you that it kills. You can ask why or in what way?
There are technicalities involved in the mask up and mask down campaign, and of which you should be very mindful.
Let us say for instance, you are boarding a vehicle (specifically a commercial vehicle) with a mask on; you getting your fingers on the door of the vehicle is one big concern to you. Now, let us assume that you are onboard the vehicle, you might want to clean your seat after a previous passenger has left it dirty. This should also be a concern to you. Onboard the vehicle (poda-poda), you might buy a product from a marketer. This is also a concern to you.
At the end of your journey, you would have to pay your transport fare to the poda-poda conductor. This also is a concern to you.
Let me take you back, you being in that poda-poda, your phone in the pocket of your trousers might ring, and it is also a possibility that such phone call is the most important call you have been waiting for all day long. This is definitely a concern to you.
With the mask on, before or after getting down the poda-poda, you might saw an elderly relative who is fond of hand-shake and you respect that individual so much that you could not turn down the offer of a hand shake. This should be a concern to you.
You might see a lady that you are madly in love with, but she is yet to accept your proposal, then all of a sudden she offers you a hand shake or a hug. Would you decline? And do not say it is not possible. This is also another serious concern.
Amid the whole systematic occurrences, there might be the presence of the Coronavirus somewhere and it is of essence to act very smart on getting the mask down.
The first thing that must always come to your mind is the awareness that health is wealth and you cannot afford to have all the material wealth at the expense of a very poor health or the worst, losing your life to the Coronavirus. We live just once, and we must endeavor to make the best of it. Sierra Leone is a very small country with a little above 7 million populations. Your health counts and you must defeat the deadly Coronavirus. When getting your mask down, you should first wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water or alcohol-based sanitizer. Mind you, “an attack on one is an attack on all.”
