On social media break but peeking briefly into Twitter, stunned at some of the reactions on COVID, so I’ll share a few points I think are important. I do not in any way intend to minimise the seriousness of the challenge the world faces, but hope these may be of value to some....
I’ve been trying over the last few months to use the serenity prayer to guide my actions & reactions: “Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, & wisdom to know the difference”. It’s been helpful for my mental health...
It’s helped me deal with the turbulence in the 3 countries I have personal connections to, the UK, Nigeria & the US and was helpful when I lost my laptop early this year. Thanks to @TfL I got it back. It’s also been incredibly helpful at this time of COVID, so I am sharing...
Things I can change: follow advice from public health authorities & try to modify my behaviour accordingly & encourage others to do the same. While this may limit my chances of getting infected, it won’t change whether or not I do get it, or the course of the illness if I do...
For my people in the UK & the West, as I contemplate the unprecedented disruption to our lives & with the livelihoods of so many threatened, I remember my parents who left Cambridge in 1966 to help build Nsukka & Nigeria & by 1968 were fleeing war, refugees sleeping on bare earth
I remember the sufferings of the people of Syria, where Damascus, in 2007 was being touted as the next top tourist destination nytimes.com/2007/06/24/tra…, or the people of Yemen, & remember that self-isolation at home in London, albeit with no toilet roll or pasta on shop shelves...
...is trying, especially with so much uncertainty, but I am not a refugee, I am still at home. I can still eat regularly, perhaps not my favourite cereal but can eat...
Having worked over many years with public health colleagues at @PHE_uk, & knowing their consummate professionalism, there are few other people or organizations I would rather have managing an outbreak I was involved in. Outbreak management is a delicate, complex thing...
Decisions have to be made against a constantly changing picture with imperfect information, & many competing issues to balance. No one ever completely gets it all 100% right 100% of the time, but you want people with knowledge, skills & experience in charge, leading the response
Which brings me to Nigeria & indeed Africa. If there were 10 epidemiologists in the world, who would deliver the best possible in outbreak management, anywhere in the world, resource-rich or resource-poor, my bro @Chikwe_I would be one of them...
Again, he & his @NCDCgov team, solidly supported by @DrEOEhanire with whom he shares much in common, are not infallible, but they are committed, dedicated professionals with a passion for public service & Nigeria, to doing the best they can for our country...
& for Africa, potentially catastrophic as COVID might be, with African leaders like @JNkengasong at @AfricaCDC @MoetiTshidi @WHO AFRO, @sokolo12 at @OoasWaho & @DrEmeruemJnr & team incl. @solaruna, continent is probably in best position to think through & respond than ever...
Also @AFENETAfrica’s training of African field epidemiologists & African scientists like @iruka_okeke, former prof of molecular bio @haverfordedu, now at @UniIbadan & @christian_happi of @acegid_lab training next generation as covered in @nighealthwatch nigeriahealthwatch.com/next-generatio…
Many complain of symptomatic people unable to access COVID tests. While concern understandable, testing changes little for individual. If symptomatic (persistent dry cough, high fever), advice is same, (see @NHSuk advice) whether test +ve or -ve as no current curative treatment 
Testing important from population perspective to keep handle on how outbreak developing, but very few if any outbreaks where we manage to test every single infected person. Usually always have people with mild symptoms (estimated 80% with COVID)& many recover never seeking help
Many scientifically acceptable ways exist to measure disease burden & trends via sampling, so important to consider that while testing every case is ideal, public health needs to consider what the best use of scarce resources are...
Finally, with no intention of minimising the potential impact of COVID & while highlighting the importance of strictly following the public health advice to prevent its spread (excellent resource as always here from @NHSuk): nhs.uk/conditions/cor… ...
Also worth each of us asking, as I protect myself against COVID, how well am I following public health advice on other risks to my health, like cancer, cardiovascular disease road accidents? See @Reuters on top causes of death. reuters.com/article/us-hea…
Because, there are people alive now, perhaps on Twitter, perhaps me, worried about COVID who will not be with us tomorrow, or next week, lost to other causes. Which brings me back to where I began: “...courage to change what we can & wisdom to know the difference...”
So be safe, breathe, follow the guidance, only share information from trusted sources & be kind, patient & supportive towards each other as we work together through this. Going back to my social media break now (after I wash my hands for 20 seconds ;). And while on the subject..
...of water & washing hands, spare a thought as we approach #WorldWaterDay for the many all over the world without access to water as powerfully captured in this blog & the embedded video by @chioma_thomas of @nighealthwatch nigeriahealthwatch.com/in-the-shadow-… #WorldWaterDay2020
