Around September of this year, Grenada was hit with the Chikungunya Virus (Chik-V). The questions rose, after one doctor stood up and proclaimed that the virus was quickly becoming an epidemic“Is the Government doing the right thing?”, “What shall we do?” and “What is being done and what should be done in schools?”
Is the government doing the right thing?
The government and the Ministry of Health had initially recommended fogging for the control of the mosquitoes that are said to be the vectors of the Chik-V. Many people were disturbed by this solution.
“When they fog the place it makes it worst for us. The fogging so strong, you could smell it two (2) miles away. If we could die from stifling from smoke, how much less fog? Cause the smell is so unhealthy and intoxicating, it giving you migraines, asthma attack and waist pain immediately as inhaled”
Some people argued over whether or not mosquitoes were carrying the virus in the first place so with this ignorance on the matter, there was more talk about whether fogging would help the villages anyway. Fogging eventually became a final resort because of the fact that it could be more harmful to the environment. Fogging therefore only happened in areas where there were plenty Chik-V cases.
So how do we deal with it?
The majority of people (who believe on the part that the mosquitoes are carrying the virus) suggested that the people in the different communities should come together and conduct a thorough cleanup of their surroundings. If the mosquitoes have carried dengue fever which has affected so many people, taking their lives and so on how much less the Chikungunya. Cleaning up would ensure that we don’t have an outbreak of dengue as well with the Chik-V.
There are others who said that Chikungunya has been breathed in a lab and that it was made for the destruction and depopulation of the people so there is no hope in finding a cure. Therefore since prevention is better than cure, take panadol or paracethymol and drink lots of juice when small signs of the virus is spotted. Lastly some suggest that we need to come together and pray and ask God for forgiveness and the removal of the Chikungunya; that if we turn from our unrighteous ways then he will hear from heaven and turn away his wrath from us.
What is being done and what should be done in schools?
Schools all over Grenada have been asking that parents and children take pride in their hygienic concerns. At the Anglican High School, all sick students or students seeing the symptoms of Chikungunya are to remain at home. The others are warned to make use of the mosquito repellent sprays or external drugs, nets and all available things that will prevent them from being bitten by mosquitoes. This seems to be working well because fewer students have been sick. According to the students more teachers than students had gotten sick and had to stay home with cases of Chik-V, although with almost 700 students, that’s very unlikely.
I feel personally, that all the measures taken to prevent the Chikungunya Virus were very thoughtful and I agree with all the suggestions given on how to prevent the Chikungunya from affecting us. Fogging should definitely be saved for last because personally it’s like a thicker form of Bop or Baygon sprays to be honest.People must go back to the basic methods of cleaning and clearing areas which could be mosquito breeding sites, maybe if this was done beforehand, so man of us would not have been affected by the virus.
Shade DeCoteau
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