Paul Wright | Taking a gamble on health

The Coronavirus pandemic declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) has affected the lives of nearly every human being on this planet called Earth.

The viral illness that targets the upper respiratory tract of people began some three months ago in Wuhan, China, and despite the efforts of experts and governments of countries worldwide, the spread is now confirmed as a “pandemic”.

Currently, it is thought to be not as fatal to those infected as the more common “flu”, which affects populations in every country. The identified problem with Covid-19, as it is now known, is the spread and the vulnerability of the old and those with medical conditions that weaken the immune system.

Strangely enough, the young seem to have a built-in resistance to the ravages of the virus, however, the fact that some of those with the virus have no symptoms in the early stages but can be, and are the architects of spread is humbling. They can pass on the disease to those with whom they come in contact. All in all, governments and members of the population in general have fallen in line and are taking steps designed to considerably reduce the spread of the disease.

The WHO has, therefore, issued guidelines designed to reduce the possibility of spread, and, consequently, the number of those presenting with the illness. The problem for Third World (here read poor) countries is the inability to test their populations in order to have an idea of exactly who is affected and, therefore, who needs to be isolated. So, near-draconian measures are being instituted to reduce the possibility of infection.

MASS GATHERINGS

Mass gatherings are being curtailed and populations are being coerced to work from home. Schools are closed and restaurants, bars, and sporting events are beginning to feel the full effect of non-activity. The resulting economic fallout is now reaching catastrophic proportions.

For sports-loving fans, the loss of games, live, and on television and radio, is not going down well. The loss of income for participants, sponsors, and supporters (fans) is not a pretty picture to contemplate. Already, the reluctance to review and reduce the arrival of cruise ships has brought frowns to the brows of many of the supporters of our own minister of tourism.

The identifying of “suspected” tourists being denied entry to the island was not based on scientific knowledge as it is now well known that some unaffected by flu-like symptoms can carry and infect unsuspecting locals who come into inevitable contact with them.

In sports, the loss of activity in all sports is now being felt. The cancellation of the annual Boys and Girls’ Athletic Championships has affected children and adults who depend on this annual event for a future that can involve a way out of poverty and an avenue of opportunity.

Our best minds are at present searching for an alternative to cancellation. So, nothing on television for the sports fan. No games or matches to attend, weekends and midweek scheduled severely curtailed as the prospect of boredom and inactivity for weeks looms.

It is now that we are beginning to appreciate the importance of sports in the lives of every member of our population. Sports help every one of us to escape the reality of life in Jamaica, where we face the everyday drama of crime and traffic irresponsibility, which we are powerless to control. The psychiatric, soothing effect of sports is now gone, for a period yet to be determined.

CAN WE SURVIVE?

Fourteen days, eight weeks, till the onset of summer are just some of the projected times of “no sports”. Can we, as a nation survive? The mental health experts are now in great demand, giving us different coping mechanisms, all of which seem to be pie-in-the-sky without human contact. So we face a period of isolation, increased personal hygiene, and the growing fear of an illness that appears impossible to detect and prevent until it reaches someone near and dear to us.

But as we Jamaicans have proven over and over again, “this, too, will pass” and we will survive. The key, therefore, is to adhere to the many guidelines and preventive measures outlined by our medical and social experts. The prospect of racing today at Caymanas without spectators and with “sanitation stations” strategically placed at the Park appear to adhere to the guidelines of the WHO.

However, the safety of punters who will be lured to the many OTB’s across the island needs to be addressed. How many of these places where punters gather can, and will, have the relevant guidelines to reduce contact between those who bet and those who receive the bets, the tellers?

Spread through contact at an OTB will not go down well with the non-betting population, who will be placed at risk, is a gamble that may not pay off. The saying “Money talks and health walks” should not, must not, be the driving force as this virus and its symptoms spread across the island.