Covid-19 measures should be relaxed

The tough, and one can argue devastating measures, initially instituted by the State were understandable at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic when we knew little about the disease. 

But now that we know better, perhaps it is time to rethink the intensity of our measures.

We have had time to understand Covid-19 and learn from other people’s experiences and our own. 

In neighbouring Tanzania, an ostrich approach was adopted, yet somehow the population hasn’t dwindled.

In Uganda, we started strong. However, towards elections, we, leaders and followers alike, threw all caution to the wind. 
Since then, many sections of Uganda have not observed Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs), yet they remain alive.

 Of course, we have registered some deaths (334 as of Friday); however, most people are okay, and it is not because they are observing Covid-19 SOPs.
So how come we haven’t died like flies despite our carelessness. It turns out Covid-19 discriminates against old age, i.e., it mainly kills the elderly. 

For instance, although people aged 50 and above make up only 10 per cent of infections in Uganda, they account for 70 per cent of Covid-19 related deaths! 

The same pattern is seen elsewhere globally. For example, in the USA, people aged 50 and over account for 96 per cent of this year’s Covid-19-related deaths.

In other words, life-threatening or fatal Covid-19 is primarily a concern for the elderly, not the young. 

Given that Uganda has a young population (half of all Ugandans are under 16 years), should we continue mimicking harsh measures, which are more suited for Europe and the USA, countries with much older populations?

Most likely, we are copying and pasting strong European solutions for a small African problem? 

I posit that Covid-19 is a small problem for Africa because, despite our primordial healthcare systems, and non-adherence to SOPs, we are alive and well. 

The doomsday image that scientists had predicted for Africa when the pandemic began has not come to pass, not even in Tanzania!

In saying this, I am not advocating a Tanzania-like approach. I am merely saying that Covid-19 is not as dangerous to Uganda as countries with aging populations (e.g., Italy). 
Therefore, we don’t need to follow every SOP the Europeans or Americans are following.

Nonetheless, in talking statistics, it is easy to overlook the value of individual lives lost. 

Yet, in managing a developing country, the most we can do (and afford) is limit deaths, not avoid them. The latter requires resources that, frankly, we don’t have. Moreover, channelling all efforts towards preventing Covid-19 deaths exposes us to other causes of death, including poverty (yes, poverty kills, and some drastic measures instituted are causing poverty).

We must note that Covid-19 is just another threat to human life among many. Even in more developed countries like the USA, Covid-19-related deaths account for only 26 per cent of all deaths among the elderly (the most at-risk age group). 

Most people are dying from other causes. Secondly, challenging solutions bring their basket of threats such as poverty.

Since Uganda is a country with a younger (less at risk) population, it is probably time to relax the anti-Covid-19 measures. The measures we adopt moving forward must consider Uganda’s context and African countries with similar demographics. 

The use of masks and sanitisation should be maintained; however, the 9pm curfew should be relaxed or revoked (assuming there aren’t non-Covid-19 related reasons for its continued existence).

Mr Kibudde is a socio-political thinker
[email protected]  Twitter: @kkaboggoza