Things don’t look good, Let’s prepare for 3rd wave

Covid-19 patients admitted at Uganda's national referral hospital, Mulago. PHOTO/FILE/NMG

What you need to know:

  • The issue: Covid-19. 
  • Our view:  Government must expedite the plan to establish more oxygen plants in hospitals, increase the number of functional Intensive Care Unit beds and address loopholes in critical and emergency care.

The pandemic is beginning to show its ugly side again. Things are beginning to look bad even as the economy staggers through Covid-19 gloom. 

The positivity rate is rising, and in some parts of the country, particularly in Teso sub-region, western and northern Uganda, daily infections have started to surge. 

For many countries, wave after wave of highly contagious variants are now becoming a norm. Amid shortages, Ugandans scramble for donated doses. 

But the main challenge in Uganda is not shortage of vaccines for the 21.9 million people alone; complacency and lack of enforcement is making matters worse. We must get serious and enforce SOPs before it is too late.

In preparation for the third wave, we must recognise the fact that complacency can be as dangerous as the virus itself. 
We must be vigilant in the fight against the pandemic. Strict adherence to SOPs should not be enforced at all times. We must come up with a formidable Covid-19 response before things get out of hand. 

The projection by experts at National Planning Authority (NPA) that Covid-19 cases will rise beginning this week, is a strong warning that the third wave of the pandemic is around the corner.  

NPA in its weekly Covid-19 case projection released on September 6, said that from September 5 to 11, an average of 194 new cases will be registered per day, amounting to a weekly total of 1,357 cases.

“For the week of September 12 to 18, cases are expected to increase to daily average of 200 new cases and a weekly total of 1,403,” the statement reads. 

Between August 29 and September 4 (last week), the country registered an average daily cases of 132 and a weekly total of 922, according to NPA. Their projection means the country will register 435 and 481 more cases in this current week and the following week, respectively, when compared to last week.  

Statistics from Ministry of Health indicate a consistent rise in Covid-19 positivity rate and as of September 8, it was at 4.8 per cent, which is higher than the 3.6 per cent reported on September 7. Positivity rate is percentage of people who test positive for the virus of those overall who have been tested.

The good news is that we can delay the onset or even where possible, stop the resurgence by adhering to the prevention measures and the government must ensure enough doses of vaccines are availed. 

Our view is that government must also expedite the plan to establish more oxygen plants in hospitals, increase the number of functional Intensive Care Unit beds and address loopholes in critical and emergency care.