It was April 2020, when Covid-19 started dominating both the world and its headlines. Cases surged and health officials became gravely concerned about the effects that local and international travel would have on the spread of the virus. Airports began screening flyers and many airlines even went as far as canceling flights based on WHO (World Health Organisation) warnings and recommendations.
My father, in Washington DC at the time, was scheduled to fly back to Pakistan and my family and I were extremely worried. Not only was the entire world fully in the grips of an unprecedented pandemic — my father also suffered pre-existing health conditions. As a precaution, my brothers and I decided to convene a family meeting in which we told him that he needed to always wear a mask and not hug or shake hands with anyone when he reached Pakistan. His reaction to our request was shocking, almost as if we had asked for our share of his property.
“You want to embarrass me in front of my family and friends in Pakistan,” he growled, visibly angry. Gaining confidence, he went on, saying: “There is no coronavirus in Pakistan, I talked to all of my friends, our immunity system is so strong that this virus cannot harm us.” Such was his conviction that I found myself momentarily wondering why masking-up in Pakistan was frowned upon by so many. After all, he was speaking as if he had spent years and years researching the virus and had been in the medical field for years. But I knew him, he was just an ordinary businessman.
He left the US and arrived safely in Islamabad. After a few days, he told me that whenever he wore a mask all his friends made fun of him and when he refused handshakes and hugs — he was called a coward. Still, I insisted that he wear a mask whenever he went out with his friends. Thankfully, he never tested positive during his stay in Pakistan and he came back to America last month, safe and sound. His thoughts about face masks have completely changed; which I was overjoyed to hear. He even said that covering up had kept him safe. Yet, from what he saw and heard, those living in Pakistan felt rather embarrassed about wearing masks and believed this a useless ‘weapon’ in the face of such a formidable opponent.
Pakistan might be the only country in the world where the Army is tasked with ensuring that people do what they are told for their own good health. After all, the police already failed on this front
By that September, such ill-informed opinions received a tremendous boost when, none other than the WHO went on record to praise Pakistan’s handling of the crisis, asserting: “Pakistan was among countries from whom the international community should learn how to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.” Yet for the political elite it had never been about tackling the virus or health-related infrastructure. Everyone was complacent because the country had not been struck hard. At least, back then during the first wave. Unfortunately, the citizenry did not grasp this and adopted a blasé approach to health protocols, while ridiculing anyone who tried to do otherwise.
Today, however, positive Covid cases are surging in Pakistan and limited testing, as compared to other countries, suggests that the virus could actually be tearing through the country at an alarming speed. Still, the people are stubbornly carrying on as before, prompting the government to call for back-up. As Prime Minister Imran Khan recently confided to the nation: “I have asked the Army to now come out on the streets and help law enforcement, our police, to ensure people are strictly following SOPs including wearing masks.”
Pakistan might be the only country in the world where the Army is tasked with ensuring that people do what they are told for their own good health. After all, the police already failed on this front. Yet even more galling is that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) health minister disregarded the well-known dangers and spike in cases to host lavish iftari for his friends and followers. The upshot being: hundreds of people in attendance and hardly a single mask in sight. It has been a similar story in other parts of the country as well.
Electronic media also has a role to play. Pakistan is home to a record number of current affairs shows. Yet all are preoccupied with political rivalries and bickering. No one is talking about the pandemic. No prime-time bulletin is using its far-reaching platform to underscore the importance of mask-wearing and following other relevant guidelines. And I must say — shame on them. And shame on PEMRA, which bears responsibility for ensuring that news channels broadcast special transmissions and explain the proper healthcare protocols in the fight against Covid.
A recent study published in Health Affairs compared the COVID-19 growth rate before and after mask mandates in 15 states in the US and found that the latter led to a slowdown in daily inflection rates, which became more apparent over time. The first five days following a mask mandate saw the daily growth rate slow down by 0.9 percentage points as compared to the five days prior while at three weeks the daily growth rate had slowed by 2 percentage points. Another study that looked at coronavirus deaths across 198 countries found that those with cultural norms or governmental policies which supported mask-wearing had lower death rates.
There is a simple rule in the US right now, “No Mask, No Service”. You cannot go anywhere unless you wear a mask, including those who have been fully immunised. Pakistan needs to do the same, it must impose a mask mandate in all federal as well as private offices and local markets. Similarly, it must involve religious clerics in speaking about the importance of these guidelines in their respective communities. Being Muslim, most Pakistanis believe in a specific day and time assigned for each person’s death, as determined by God. Because of this, many people believe that the virus is nothing to fear. Even worse, while pointing to the situation in India, they are keen to explain it as retribution for brutality against innocent Kashmiris. This mindset needs to change. A public anti-Covid awareness campaign needs collective effort. At least for now, Pakistan should impose a mask mandate.
The writer is a Washington-based journalist and author. He has been covering international politics and foreign policy for the last 15 years. He can be reached at [email protected] and tweets@JazzyARY