Sunday, March 29, 2020

Do We Have The Bull By The Tail?

Here is a Thumbs Up to the Prime Minister, the Health Minister and the rest of the Cabinet Members of the government for their relentless vigilance against the pandemic COVID-19. Commandeered by His Majesty the King, the government’s preventive and control measures to contain the virus has been nothing short of GOLD STANDARD. Few in the world, if at all, can achieve what we have.

The four confirmed cases so far have all been cases that have entered the country from outside. We have yet to uncover a single case that is native. Let us pray that by the grace of God, there will be none.

But something that worries me even more than the possibility of death by infection – is the medical sciences’ inability to detect the infection quickly and promptly. It is my belief that the virus has assumed pandemic proportions because of our failure to detect it early and in time - before it had a chance to spread.

Thus, it seems like we have our work cut out for us – I think the world community must first focus on finding ways and means for the virus’ early and timely detection. If we can do that, we have a better chance to contain its spread. In any event, I am told that even if we can figure out a cure for the virus, it will be 12 to 18 months before the cure can be administered safely on humans.

So then it does not seem like a chicken or egg paradox. We clearly know what must come first.

In the absence of a full proof detection method/apparatus, we are left with no choice but to quarantine whole hoard of arrivals. This is too expensive and unsustainable. Even more worrisome, this  COVID-19 thing is distracting our attention from some other things that could prove to be costly, if ignored.

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