COVID 19 Management at the BSB

While it feels as though the pandemic and Covid-19 have long overstayed their welcome, and updates are beginning to feel quite monotonous, it is important to remain well informed for the sake of our own protection as well as that of our communities.

Luckily, there has been a clear decline in the daily cases of Covid-19 across the country, with cases currently averaging around 200 cases per day. Restaurants are slowly starting to open back up, and more people are returning to their jobs and schools in person - it feels as though life is slowly beginning to return to normal.

It is important to note, however, that this is not the green light to start disregarding all social distancing and infection prevention methods. As I am sure we are all aware, the BSB has reported a total of 7 cases since it’s reopening, a few of which were detected just before the half term break and led to the early closure of the school, under instruction of the Health and Education Ministries. The Public Health Department stated that the school would only reopen if no new cases were detected in the 10 day closure period, and if the school is completely free of any infected cases.

While BSB has outlined that this is nothing to be worried about as it was simply a precautionary measure, evidenced by its swift reopening, it is vital that we continue to abide by the effective safety precautions the school has put in place, which have allowed us to resume in-person learning. Social distancing is the only way we can maintain safe in-person education.

Additionally, experts have recently reiterated the need to abide by social distancing measures amid fears of a second wave in Bahrain. As outlined by Gulf Daily News, an analysis of official statistics in the country reveal that almost 50% of those diagnosed with the virus since July tested positive during random screenings and after developing symptoms. However, a further 43% of those tested between July 9 and September 30 were close contacts of those infected.

“This analysis means that for every individual that presents with symptoms and tests positive, there is an equal number who are asymptomatic and on random testing or on contact tracing turn out to be positive,” explains American Mission Hospital chief executive Dr George Cheriyan.

Dr Cheriyan goes on to explain the importance of social distancing and wearing masks to avoid a surge in transmission rates, and clarifies that Bahrain is in “no way out of the woods”, as many other countries are experiencing a second wave of Covid-19 after letting their guards down (the UK has entered another 4-week lockdown that aims to combat the recent surge in infections). With Christmas and the Winter Break just around the corner, and their concomitant increases in travel and social gatherings, it is important to keep this in mind.

Furthermore, in a recent update regarding the progress of Covid-19 vaccinations, the World Health Organisation stated there are currently over 100 Covid-19 vaccines under development, with a few of them undergoing the human trial phase. A vaccine developed by Chinese state-owned pharmaceutical company Sinopharm has recently been approved for use among Bahrain’s frontline workers. The vaccine is also currently in Phase III trials in the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Jordan.

Notably, a recent survey done by Nature Medicine revealed that people’s views on recent Covid-19 vaccination related developments are slightly misinformed. A series of news websites (e.g. News Punch, Infowars, Alternet) have recently published articles that feature a prominent doubt regarding the legitimacy of recent vaccinations under development, and even question the possibility of any vaccine becoming readily available for use in the near future. Combining this with influential celebrities showing public opposition to the use of vaccines - Elon Musk has allegedly stated that he will not allow his children to receive Covid-19 vaccinations - a lot of concerning results were produced when members of the general public were asked about their willingness to be inoculated once a safe vaccine has been established.

14.2% of respondents across 19 different countries disagreed with the statement that they would accept a vaccine if generally available, and 17.9% disagreed that they would accept a vaccine if their employer recommended it. The spread of misinformation has rendered vaccine hesitancy relatively high, which leaves the goal of community immunity more difficult to achieve. Clearly, more needs to be done to prepare the public for the arrival of a Covid-19 vaccine.

Rose Baslious Salib, 12F