Showing posts with label Pandemic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pandemic. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 7, 2020

As Covid-19 spreads, stay properly informed, avoid panic and don’t fall victim to cyber-criminals

ICMS, Inc Reports
Public Advisory Comments
by Tom Okure, PhD


If you are concerned about Corona Virus (Covid-19) pandemic or perhaps worried that you might have been exposed, please get yourself tested.  
Be safe by wearing a face mask that covers your nose and mouth

As the virus spreads and more reports of infections are reported near you, try staying calm and avoid panic. Panic is extremely harmful and dangerous especially when combined with fake news and misinformation floating around in the internet. Be careful of self-diagnosing yourself and administering unsupervised and unproven medications and homemade remedies.

In many African countries including Nigeria, misinformation is fueling panic in many communities and leading people to take inappropriate or dangerous self-healing actions. 
As rumors of the drug Chloroquine as an effective drug being tested against the corona virus is circulating in the internet, we are hearing of people increasingly overdosing with the drug and coming down with chloroquine toxicity as the pandemic takes root.
This writer advises people not to be afraid and panic as the disease looms larger. Try and educate yourself about the disease and adhere to preventive information released by reliable government agencies and the world health organization (WHO).  
Be careful not to fall victim to cyber-criminals that are capitalizing on the COVID-19 pandemic to defraud, steal sensitive information or gain unauthorized access to computers and mobile phones of innocent citizens employing different techniques. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through its Director, Corporate Communications recently warned that cyber-criminals are sending out emails claiming to be from health organizations such as Nigerian Center for Disease Control (NCDC) or World Health Organization (WHO). He warned that people should be careful, as such email may contain a link which if clicked on steals login credentials or other confidential information from the victim’s computer or mobile device. Nigeria is not alone in experiencing a surge in COVID-19 related cyber-criminal activities. News being reported from all over the world indicates that everyone should be on the alert and aware of this ongoing trend and not fall victim to cyber-criminals.

Conclusion
Remember that other epidemic diseases in the past have ravaged the world and resulted in more people dying and dead. One of the unique feature of the new COVID-19 pandemic that has made it gain international notoriety is the highly infectious nature of the virus that blossomed to a world pandemic. Nevertheless, it is important to emphasize that for a majority of infected people, the Covid-19 virus will cause only moderate and minor symptoms which includes high fever and cough that will end in about two to three weeks. The virus does not discriminate and has affected all races, socioeconomic classes of people over the world. Stay safe by observing social (physical) distancing and wearing a mask when you decide to go outside to exercise or to shop for food essentials.  
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All rights reserved by Tom Okure, Ph.D President and CEO of Inter-Continental Mgt. Systems, Inc (or ICMS, Inc). The information included in this article may not be used, reproduced, transmitted, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written permission of ICMS, Inc. The author Dr. Tom Okure is President of ICMS, Inc, a multifaceted business and management consulting firm with its head office in Albany, New York. Dr. Okure is a writer, author, business/management consultant, public policy advisor and commentator and a change advocate.

Thursday, March 26, 2020

The New Coronavirus (or Covid-19) Pandemic: Know the Facts: Part 1

ICMS, Inc Educational Series

By Tom Okure, Ph.D. 
 Wearing of mask is a preventive
measure recommended to prevent
exposure to the virus from micro
droplets

What to Expect: Know the Facts- Part 1

The new corona virus (or Covid-19) for a majority of infected people typically causes moderate and minor symptoms, for example fever and cough that is resolved between two to three weeks.

However, in some cases of the virus infection, mainly among the elderly who are infected and also have existing health problems, the virus infection can result in more severe sickness, which can include pneumonia and even death.
A majority of countries around the world have been affected by the pandemic and are implementing strict measures to combat the virus. In most countries, non-essential services have been shuttered and so schools, churches and businesses except grocery stores, gas stations and communication facilities considered to be essential services have been temporarily closed until this crisis is over.