SARS-CoV (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus) came in 2003 and it could not get global attention. In 2012, MERS-CoV (middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus) came and it still could not get global attention.
Ebola virus disease was next. It came in 2014 and it could not get global attention. Zika virus disease then followed in 2015 and it could not get global attention too.
In 2017, the world was plagued with Monkeypox but it was not given global attention. But then came COVID-19 in 2019 and it got global attention.
The precedence showed that something of a global effect was coming but we were not listening.
Simple hand hygiene in the form of handwashing or hand rubbing, and other infection prevention and control practices are preventative to all these outbreaks.
Building the capacities of all health workers and their health facilities in infection prevention and control will prevent the spread of COVID-19, other infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance in the healthcare settings and into the communities (as community transmission).
We are now listening.
Dr David Owoeye
Infection Prevention and Control Specialist
Image: Clem Onojeghuo






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