Dear Editor,

Recently the Minister of Health and Wellness (MOHW) Dr Christopher Tufton delivered an address on the rising COVID-19 positivity rates across the island and gave assurance that, despite the increased rates, there is no need for public disquiet. His address during the sitting of the Parliament last week, though calculated and prudent, has showcased that we have become lax in keeping COVID-19 under absolute control.

With most epidemics and pandemics, epidemiological studies show that, on average, it takes two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half years to taper off or reach minimum value, at which point medicine becomes more effective at preventing their occurrence. It has been more than three years since the novel coronavirus made its entrance globally, yet it is still here.

It is unquestionably true that COVID-19 parameters are lower now than they were two years ago, and I gravitate towards having a realist mindset and trying not to sound negative. In spite of this, I am still uneasy knowing that we may very well repeat the same mistakes that led us to this predicament in the first place. COVID-19 became a distant memory for many Jamaicans, as we eventually took it for granted. Nevertheless, it is still here and kicking!

National health-care protocols and vaccine development have indeed produced promising results tactically. It worked for a while, but the coronavirus found a cunning method of adaptation through numerous mutation cycles, which has concretised its presence globally.

Dr Tufton noted that the omicron variant and other subvariants are still out there in the Jamaican populace, and they are more transmissible than their predecessors; therefore, we should exercise pre-emptive measures to limit their spread. My concerns are that:

1)established protocols may not be taken seriously due to ignorance of the virus’s nature and the severe impact it can have on vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and people with co-morbidities.

2)Will a greater spike in the positivity rates lead to a return of online classes? We saw the adverse effects of staying home displayed by some students when they came back from their two-year long isolation.

If we are to have any hope for the expungement of COVID-19 from our shores, we must exercise simple procedures, such as social distancing, wearing our masks, and simply washing our hands after multiple contact with people and surfaces.

I recall Dr Charah Watson, executive director for the Scientific Research Council (SRC), stating that the virus’s structure enables it to deteriorate significantly with the application of soap and water for 20 seconds, a common sanitary practice when leaving the restroom.

It was rather unfortunate that recently one of my colleagues in the academic circle came down with COVID-19. He admitted that he dropped the ball during his overseas travel.

An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

Dujean Edwards

Adjunct lecturer

University of Commonwealth Caribbean

dujeanedwards@gmail.com