Staying Safe Amid the Many Coronavirus Theories in Liberia

A few days ago, Suma Massaley published an incredible piece  that touched on what Liberians did not learn from Ebola, and I felt the need to address some concerns that I think have the propensity to undermine the efforts of our health workers, plunge us into more confusion, and expose us more to the deadly CoronaVirus. 

There have been “theories” floating around suggesting that there is no virus here in Liberia and that the government is trying to get international attention, solicit funds, etc. An acquaintance of mine argued that the time period used to determine the results of patient zero and some of the other people tested is too short to actually trust said results. Another person told me that the fact that patient zero was smiling on the selfies he took while in quarantine doesn’t sit well with her and brings out a feeling that something is not right. These folks might have a point, and if you reading this have any reservations, I’m sure you do too. 

It’s a good thing to be skeptical and to air out opinions or “theories” that you might have about issues like this. Here is my contention: we have a very gullible society, and if you sit and think of how the virus entered here in the first place, you become terrified to even trust our ability to contain or combat this virus. We have a man who, especially given his position in the country, should have seen it as his civic responsibility to ensure that he was quarantined and tested; decided not to, for whatever reason(s), left the airport and went home thereby endangering his family and the entire country. 

Let’s assume this man was never infected in the first place and that it has all been a ploy; don’t you think it is plausible that there might have been another person who came in the country too and was never tested because of their influence or whatever reason(s), but actually had the virus? What if someone else sneaked in through one of the many entry points and compromised the system? 

I mentioned in a tweet on March 16 that patient zero “…could just be our first KNOWN and ESTABLISHED case.” I saw a video on social media of people chasing the health practitioners that went to carry a patient for testing, isolation and/or quarantine and I was startled. Knowing how infectious this virus is, why would a group of people even think of chasing a could-be victim unmasked? Is it to get a recording for social media or to be able to stigmatize afterwards? Ignorance, I would say, is the reason. Now, do you really want to mix that level of ignorance with conspiracy theories? We would be doomed.

Going forward, I strongly plead that we all act as if the virus is already here. We lose nothing by playing safe when there is no virus, but lose so much if we don’t and there is. My acquaintance also argued that schools, businesses and everything else being shut down is detrimental to our economy IF the virus isn’t here, and that the government owes us the truth in times like these. I entirely agree with him. 

But what if it is here? What if the government isn’t making this up? Are we really prepared to take that chance? 

Everyone reacts differently to situations. The fact that patient zero smiles on a selfie isn’t enough reason to question everything. What if he was told to smile to project calm? The thing is, we can’t be sure that the virus isn’t here or if we are even in a position to fight it if it is. There’s so much to lose, and while your reservations are important, let’s continue to stay safe. Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly, avoid touching your face as much as possible, and stay away from large crowds as much as you can. We have survived worse and we will survive this too.

Authored by Jay Hoff