This article was first published in the New Vision on October 27, 2021
By Maureen Nakatudde
Next month, students in tertiary and higher institutions will return to school after a months-long COVID-19-induced lockdown. However, that does not mean that the deadly coronavirus disease is gone. In addition to vaccination, experts advise students to take other precautions to keep the disease at bay.
Observe SOPS
Vaccination does not give one a licence to live recklessly. Prof. David Ssali of Dama Medical Herbs, says vaccination is not a guarantee that a student will not contract COVID-19, so they should still be on guard.
Dr John Etolu, who is in charge of COVID-19 Unit in Soroti district, advises students to maintain social distance, wear a mask at all times and sanitising with either an alcohol-based hand rub or washing with soap and water for 20 seconds every time, to keep safe at their places of learning.
De-Congestion
Students can avoid catching COVID-19 by avoiding congested spaces.
Harriet Tushabe, a public relations officer at Uganda Technical College, Bushenyi, notes that besides vaccination, university halls and hostels should be de-congested to reduce the chances of the disease spreading in case one is infected.
Some hostel administrators have heeded the call and they are restricting numbers per room to two, at most.
Instead of crowding lecture halls, experts have recommended dividing students in shifts to ensure enough social distancing. Some institutions have set up timetables where not all students have to be at the institution at once and maintaining hostels and halls for students who need it absolutely. For example, at Career Education, Maganjo, near Kampala, students of different programmes will be studying on different days, according to Christopher Semanda, the institute’s director.
However, while it is the role of the institutions to ensure safety at the premises, students, too, are responsible for their own health.
“Students should also be vigilant and avoid congested hostels and those that do not observe the SOPs,” Silver Dronyi, a principal at Datamine Technical Business College, says.
Report The Infected Person
Often, some people observe a person with COVID-19 symptoms like with flu-like signs, fever, difficulty in breathing, headache and, sometimes, diarrhoea and they ignore it. Dronyi appeals to all students to report such cases to the school authorities or the nearest healthy centre.
Avoid Crowded Places
Given the length of the lockdown, students have so much to catch up with their friends. Due to much excitement, they may find it difficult to resist hugging each other.
“However, students should avoid hugging each other and being in crowds in order to keep safe,” Dr. Hasfa Nampala, a lecturer at Kyambogo University, advises.
Since entertainment and partying are prohibited by the Government, some students might think of a way of having it.
Dr Nampala says some students might improvise by having parties in their rooms.
Aside from the risk of contracting COVID-19, Dr Nampala says if caught, the Police can put them in prison.
Maintain Online Classes
In order to keep students safe at the institutions of higher learning, universities are continuing with online classes. Dr Jalia Namugaya, a lecturer at Muni University, advises students to take advantage of these classes to ensure there is limited number of students present at the institutions reducing the risk of contracting COVID-19.
Visitors Not Allowed
During the fight against the pandemic and ensuring safety of students, some hostels have instituted strict measures, such as restrictions on visitors and student numbers. Francis Kabanda, a custodian at Lady Juliana Girls’ Hostel, Makerere, says they are to observe the government curfew time, which is 7:00pm. Besides that, they will not allow visitors in after that, including friends and relatives.
Remember Your Dreams
Denis Mujambere, a former administrator at Makerere University and now a PhD student at Calvin University, South Korea, advises students to know that COVID-19 is real and is still in our midst. He advises students to think of their dreams as a driving force to guard against COVID-19. “If one is infected with COVID-19 and succumbs to it, they will not see their dreams come true. It is only the living that can achieve their dream and thus, one must make their health a priority.”
Good Nutrition
A balanced diet is key in maintaining one’s immunity system. Dr John Etolu, who is in charge of COVID-19 Unit in Soroti district, encourages students to have a good diet, saying that once one acquires COVID-19, the body can easily fight the disease. He warns against junk food like deep-fried meals or fizzy drinks, which hampers the body’s ability to fight disease.
Health experts also recommend that students consume two litres of water every day to keep their bodies hydrated and remove toxins that are detrimental to their health.
David Ssali of Dama Medical Herbs recommends that universities provide a diet that enables the students keep their immunity strong. Such a diet should include vegetables and fruits, in addition to carbohydrates and proteins.
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