#BTEditorial – Message of safety must still be told

Sometimes bitter medicine is what is required to fix a deep rooted problem. At the individual level, it may simply require us to make better personal choices, but when the issue is a national source of discomfort, the remedy often demands a dramatic response.

In this connection, we empathise with the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP), the fraternity of local doctors, who have been battling misinformation and downright disrespect because they have dared to tell us what we do not want to hear.

Even the most tolerant citizens will admit that two years of COVID-19 restrictions and protocols have taken their toll on our mental health and Barbadians just want to be rid of the hindrances and return to their carefree pre-2019 existence.

BAMP President Dr Lynda Williams, who has been the sober voice of reason throughout the pandemic, often going against the Governmental grain and calling for more stringent measures to control the disease, has become a target for many different groups.

Unfortunately, too many of us were prepared to shoot the messenger rather than accept the validity of the message. For her unwavering stand, Dr Williams faced ridicule on social media and sometimes ostracism in some circles.

We are thankful that Barbados’ health care system and apparatus were able to hold up under the tremendous pressure brought upon it by the pandemic. In fact, many will argue that neither health care nor the general economy has returned to normal.

As Prime Minister Mia Mottley reminds us on several occasions, we are fighting a battle on many fronts, and we do not have the luxury of handling one issue at a time.

When we were informed over the weekend that the island had its first confirmed case of monkeypox, it felt like deja’vu. Ironically, the confirmation was announced as the biggest fete so far of the Crop Over Festival, Tipsy, was scheduled for the same weekend.

Neither the Barbados Police Service nor the Barbados Fire Service has offered an estimate of the crowd at the Botanical Gardens for this fete, but photographs, videos and drone footage of the event suggest that at least 10, 000 people were in attendance.

In addition, the monkeypox alert coincided with an uptick in COVID-19 infections and a removal of the requirement to wear face masks on the outdoors.

In these circumstances, we are not surprised that BAMP has again brought us back to Christian understanding, particularly as we approach the peak of the Crop Over Festival.

There are still events such as the Pic-O-De-Crop Semi-Finals and Finals, Foreday Morning Jump-Up, Grand Kadooment, and a host of fetes and parties to be staged.

Again, BAMP is sending a message that we do not necessarily want to hear, at least not of this time. The organisation’s public relations officer Dr Stephanie Date called on Barbadians to immediately report any suspected cases of monkeypox.

A man in his 30s who reportedly presented with symptoms of the disease soon after arriving on the island. The public has not been informed from which country he arrived or had visited.

For our own health and safety, BAMP has reminded us that the same public health strategies employed during the COVID-19 pandemic of frequent hand washing, physical distancing, and mask wearing, are still the best protective measures against monkeypox, for which there is no vaccine on island.

Citizens were also reminded that monkeypox can be spread from person to person via respiratory droplets through coughing or sneezing. It can also be spread through close contact, including face-to-face, skin-to-skin, or sexual contact.

Infectious individuals may also spread the virus by contaminating surfaces and objects including bedding and clothing when they have a rash.

We are aware that many people will be visiting Barbados over the next few weeks and Barbadians will also be travelling to the major metropolitan areas of the world and can become infected.

As BAMP has advised us, we must remain vigilant. Despite our desire to pleasure ourselves over the next three weeks of Crop Over events, we must not lose sight of the significant threats that face us.

We must enjoy the festival, patronize the events, stores and shops but let us not let our guard down for a few hours of pleasure.