This Person Sheds Light On Why People In Kenya Don’t Self-Isolate
Most of the world is currently affected by the novel coronavirus in one way or another. Tourism has been halted almost globally and a lot of countries have been or still are under COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. Even the remote corners of the world that have not been directly affected are experiencing limited air and sea traffic and therefore going through difficulties in obtaining needed products.
But people in some regions are experiencing even more extreme difficulties and living in conditions where self-isolation in order not to get infected is not even an option. After all, whatever the threat, it is better faced with a full stomach.
Twitter user Regius Tweep shared some insight regarding the COVID-19 situation in Kenya
Image credits: XivTroy
Twitter user Regius Tweep recently went to Twitter to explain the heartbreaking reality of the average Kenyan citizen in light of the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Image credits: XivTroy
He said it’s difficult for a lot of Kenyans to take coronavirus seriously because their primary concern is to put food on the table
Image credits: XivTroy
While a lot of people all over the world are self-isolating to avoid getting infected, he explains it’s not an option for the average Kenyan citizen, since their primary concern is to put food on the table for their families.
Image credits: XivTroy
Furthermore, they have other life-threatening diseases to think about on a daily basis
Image credits: XivTroy
He also expresses concern that politicians only started talking about self-isolation when they realized that the spread of the virus among the citizens could affect, as Regius Tweep calls them, the Kenyan bourgeoisie. He assumes that Kenyan government isn’t actually concerned about people living in Kibera, the biggest slum in Nairobi, and the largest urban slum in whole Africa.
Image credits: XivTroy
People on Twitter seemed to agree with him
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There are currently 672 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Kenya. 239 so far have recovered and 32 people in the country have died due to the virus.
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Share on FacebookI can't believe someone actually had to explain this... Are people really that stupid and ignorant?
Or course they are -- many people live in their own socio-economic bubble and can't fathom what it's like to live outside that comfortable bubble. Like the politician that has no idea how much groceries cost because he doesn't shop, or the american Treasury Secretary that implies that a $1200 stimulus check can last for 10 weeks.
Load More Replies...It's difficult to explain to someone who hasn't seen the living conditions in Africa why COVID is not a concern to people living in poverty. Those who live in townships and squatter camps, 6 in a shack that is 4m x 4m, with their neighbour less than half a meter away- a sea of corrugated iron for many, many kilometres, and perhaps one portable toilet to share between 100 people. They fight a daily battle to get food and stave off hunger- and now you are telling them they cannot go out and get that food. They don't care- COVID is the least of their worries. The virus is spreading fast in these areas- our stringent lockdown was to allow for the medical units and personnel to prepare for the coming onslaught. It's a tsunami, and it's coming faster than the food parcels.
So many poor countries that worry about having food and safe water every day will not be able to isolate nor can they. Most live in slums with open sewers and garbage. I wish there was a way to protect them from this virus but like he said it is just one more daily battle to them.
Absolutely. However, this brings us to the part where he criticised the "me" as a rallying call even in a catastrophe. All the isolation thing is about preventing the spread to others, yet, here people are risking it for their own benefit. Unknowingly, of course, due to lack of education and resources, which is sad, but it's still a huge problem. And it makes the whole situation even more worrisome...
Load More Replies...And yet, I can't get my roots done. O, the injustice. (Sarcasm, for those who can't tell)
This is an important article, no doubt about it. We could argue the diseases covid19 is compared to aren't nearly as infectious, but from their perspective, these people have no means to understand it and to live by it. Still, that shouldn't give them the free pass, a solution should be sought instead. And, a bit off-topic, but... the part about poverty and stealing sparks a curiosity and questions. It makes me draw comparisons to N. Korea. As far as I know, they don't steal from the "wealthy" people of Pyongyang, and they are horrendously poor indeed. Guess I'm entering a different territory here, topic-wise.
As one of my friends reminded me, the median age of the entire continent is barely above 20. Which is probably what is helping against the covid-19 - that, and the sun and heat that apparently the virus doesn't like. But not a lot of other help is going their way.
There have been plenty of Corona Virus posts on this site, and this is the only one that's worthwhile. Kudos to you, Regius.
I can't believe someone actually had to explain this... Are people really that stupid and ignorant?
Or course they are -- many people live in their own socio-economic bubble and can't fathom what it's like to live outside that comfortable bubble. Like the politician that has no idea how much groceries cost because he doesn't shop, or the american Treasury Secretary that implies that a $1200 stimulus check can last for 10 weeks.
Load More Replies...It's difficult to explain to someone who hasn't seen the living conditions in Africa why COVID is not a concern to people living in poverty. Those who live in townships and squatter camps, 6 in a shack that is 4m x 4m, with their neighbour less than half a meter away- a sea of corrugated iron for many, many kilometres, and perhaps one portable toilet to share between 100 people. They fight a daily battle to get food and stave off hunger- and now you are telling them they cannot go out and get that food. They don't care- COVID is the least of their worries. The virus is spreading fast in these areas- our stringent lockdown was to allow for the medical units and personnel to prepare for the coming onslaught. It's a tsunami, and it's coming faster than the food parcels.
So many poor countries that worry about having food and safe water every day will not be able to isolate nor can they. Most live in slums with open sewers and garbage. I wish there was a way to protect them from this virus but like he said it is just one more daily battle to them.
Absolutely. However, this brings us to the part where he criticised the "me" as a rallying call even in a catastrophe. All the isolation thing is about preventing the spread to others, yet, here people are risking it for their own benefit. Unknowingly, of course, due to lack of education and resources, which is sad, but it's still a huge problem. And it makes the whole situation even more worrisome...
Load More Replies...And yet, I can't get my roots done. O, the injustice. (Sarcasm, for those who can't tell)
This is an important article, no doubt about it. We could argue the diseases covid19 is compared to aren't nearly as infectious, but from their perspective, these people have no means to understand it and to live by it. Still, that shouldn't give them the free pass, a solution should be sought instead. And, a bit off-topic, but... the part about poverty and stealing sparks a curiosity and questions. It makes me draw comparisons to N. Korea. As far as I know, they don't steal from the "wealthy" people of Pyongyang, and they are horrendously poor indeed. Guess I'm entering a different territory here, topic-wise.
As one of my friends reminded me, the median age of the entire continent is barely above 20. Which is probably what is helping against the covid-19 - that, and the sun and heat that apparently the virus doesn't like. But not a lot of other help is going their way.
There have been plenty of Corona Virus posts on this site, and this is the only one that's worthwhile. Kudos to you, Regius.
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