The diagnosis of Malta’s first cases of Covid-19 was well-nigh inevitable. Worldwide incidence tops 100,000 in nearly 100 countries, the novel coronavirus is spreading rapidly in Europe and especially in Italy, and international travel is still unrestricted.
Two messages appear to be important for the local population to grasp at this point.
The first is that the reality of coronavirus is serious: a lot of people are getting sick and dying from it around the world. The second is that with everyone’s calm cooperation, the spread of the disease can be stalled.
It is vital first to understand that the virus poses a significant threat to society and risks overwhelming health services. There is consensus among experts that a pandemic with potentially severe consequences is imminent or already underway.
It has happened before, so it could happen again. The Spanish flu of 1918 killed about 50 million people worldwide. Malta had 20,000 cases and just over 800 deaths, a fatality rate of 1.5 per cent.
The latest WHO estimate for coronavirus mortality is 3.4 per cent, many times higher than ordinary influenza, which ends about half a million lives globally every year.
Malta got off lightly from the Spanish flu. It registered the lowest death rate in Europe, losing 0.3 per cent of its population compared to Italy’s 1.3 per cent and Great Britain’s 0.6 per cent.
According to medical historian Jane Orr, who gave a lecture on the subject in Vittoriosa last year, a widespread awareness campaign played no small part in ensuring the island suffered relatively few casualties.
Besides enforcing strict quarantine measures and disinfecting public places, the chief government medical officer sent a leaflet to every household with information about symptoms, the use of handkerchiefs when coughing or sneezing, and the need for people to stay away from work and crowded places.
The lessons from our fellow Maltese through the mists of time is clear: slowing the spread of this disease is a collective responsibility. It depends not only on the government taking tough decisions but is also down to every individual’s actions.
Beating the disease is not just about keeping ourselves safe but making sure that our behaviour does not expose others to it, thereby putting at greater risk the elderly, infirm or sick – those most vulnerable to its worst effects.
The Italian family who are Malta’s first known cases of Covid-19 had gone into voluntary quarantine on returning from Italy last week. That was reassuring to hear. The rest of the population must be prepared to change their behaviour too.
Everyone should know the drill by now – washing hands regularly, skipping work or school if showing symptoms, reporting those symptoms, and so on.
It is a social obligation for every member of society to learn what measures they can take to avoid catching or spreading the disease.
Panicking is not one of those measures. Carefully and calmly following the instructions of the health authorities is.
The vast majority of people will get through this virus unscathed, if they catch it at all, but the whole community must pull out all the stops to protect its most vulnerable members. Too many of them – about 15 per cent to be exact – are slain by this virus. Ignorance, complacency and lack of regard for others are its great allies.