By Grace Gboko

Coronavirus or Covid-19 is an Abstract Acute respiratory disease caused by a novel corona virus (Sars-cov2, previously known as 2019nCoV). It has spread throughout Wuhan in China where it emerged and subsequently received worldwide attention.

On 30th January 2020, World Health Organisation(WHO) officially declared the Covid 19 pandemic as a public health emergency of international concern.

Covid 19 has since been spreading through the nooks and crannies of the world and has killed millions of people in short period of time and there is still no cure for the deadly virus. This has raised fear and anxiety amongst people as countries have all hands on deck trying to protect their citizens. This deadly virus has an easy way of preying on a host and killing same as it also puts families and associates at high risk because people who get infected do not show early symptoms hence spreading innocently to people whom they have contact with.

On Friday 28th January 2020, Nigeria announced its first case of covid 19 which led to activation of the country’s National Corona Virus Emergency Operation. It is no longer news, how drastically the pandemic has affected the lives of Nigerians; whether rich or poor.

Nigeria as a country has recorded accelerating cases especially in Lagos and FCT Abuja and few other states across the nation, leading to a lockdown of so many public places across the country.

These happenings have given rise to fear, panic, trauma, and paranoia, in an already precarious state of affairs for Nigerians.

The fatality rate of covid 19 can not be overemphasized and it is even more deadly when combined with negative thoughts which births fear, this leads to panic and for many people, subsequent high blood pressure unknowingly leading to death. Awareness should trigger a means to avoidance of the spread of this virus but it is instead instilling in us fear and panic as to the negativities that surrounds the pandemic.

Many people including myself are victims of great fear by creating imaginary symptoms of the pandemic and trying so hard to convince ourselves that we might have unknowingly had contact with an infected person. With fear, sanity is lost, one begins to have nightmares and also dread a lot about the pandemic and the level of harm that awaits us in the nearest future and how many more people it might kill before the cure is found. I interviewed several people and realized this was a very common situation, the virus scare has been like a pendulum, moving from one extreme end to the other.

Scientifically it has proven that Fear weakens our immune system and can cause cardiovascular damage and gastrointestinal problems such as ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome and it can lead to accelerated ageing and premature death. Living in constant fear can become incapacitating.

Mary D Moller PHD, outlined the potential effects of fear on emotions thus
-Causes dissociation from self 
-Unable to have loving feelings 
-Learned helplessness 
-Mood swings
-Obsessive compulsive thoughts
-Inability to live freely because of   
  paranoia.

HOW TO OVERCOME THIS FEAR 
First, is to isolate yourself from the negativity springing around about the pandemic, listen more to positive and spirit lifting as well as maybe comedy skit just to ease up your mind. 

Secondly, healthy sanitary precautions will help you feel secured and safe from the virus.

Thirdly, positive declarations go a long way to control fear, when you train your mind to see the good aspects of every situation, covid 19 is not a death sentence, people recover and are still recovering from it, it is mostly fatal in older adults and when there’s a history of preexisting illnesses in a person who contacted the virus.

Not only will we survive the pandemic but will be judged also by the steps we took to defeat it.
There’s good news! Fear can be curtailed, Covid 19 is not a death sentence but we must not let the fear of it overcome us.