The Sunday Mail
THE Covid-19 global pandemic has seemingly reached boiling point, with many societies cautiously adopting novel customs, norms, rituals and values.
As of January 19, there were 96 237 790 confirmed cases, 2 055 893 deaths and 68 851 713 recoveries worldwide.
Academically, a custom is defined as a tradition, or a usual way to behave – habit. As we face the deadliest pandemic, customs such as handshakes have since been temporarily suspended.
Equally, hugging and kissing have since been totally proscribed. All individuals must uniformly practice the newly established rules to minimise infection.
Social norms are commonly defined as rules, or expectations that are socially enforced. In this pandemic era, wearing of masks and observing physical and social distances in public spaces have generally become the new norms.
Generally, a ritual is a formalised mode of behaviour in which the members of a community regularly engage. Religion patently represents such a social context.
And today, religious gatherings and other cultural activities have been indefinitely banned to minimise the super-spread of the coronavirus.
As such, funeral attendees have been reduced to only 30 people. And body viewing as well as other rituals on corpses are no longer permissible especially on Covid-19 bodies.
In many religions, hand washing is viewed as a ritual. The most important ritual in this era is to religiously wash hands with soap and water, or alternatively with an alcohol-based sanitiser.
Social values are those things that people widely consider important to them. As such, the most significant value during the Covid-19 pandemic is obviously saving human lives.
As the global population keenly awaits vaccination, saving lives squarely depend on observing the recommended health protocols.
In this rich vein, people ought to observe both physical and social distancing to minimise the spread of the coronavirus.
Critically, physical distancing entails maintaining a space of at least two metres from the next person. And social distancing entails withdrawal from social gatherings and, or groupings.
Essentially, individuals commonly value social, economic, cultural and political activities in their daily routines.
However, people must withdraw from cultural and social activities that potentially fuel the spread of the coronavirus.
On the economic front, only those regarded as essential service providers are allowed to leave their homes.
Politically, activities such as elections have since been put on hold for fear of super-spreading the coronavirus infection.
According to sociologist Emile Durkheim, the society symbolises an organic analogue where the sum of its parts is greater than the whole.
Admittedly, all and sundry have a role to play in saving societal health by following recommended preventative and protective protocols.
Durkheim’s postulations principally focused on the achievement of social cohesion, social solidarity, and social consensus – healthy society.
Fundamentally, customs, norms, rituals and values are equally important to achieve a healthy society. Deviance and social anomie must be severely sanctioned to maintain societal health.
As we grapple with the impacts of Covid-19, practising physical and social distancing have increasingly become a norm.
And as we cautiously minimise the spread of the contagion, the new norms entail properly wearing of masks in public spaces.
Regularly, people should wash hands with soap and water. This has actually become the novel ritual that effectively saves human lives.
And customs such as handshakes, hugging and kissing have also been proscribed as people anxiously observe physical distancing.
With economic, cultural, social and political values having been temporarily shelved, people must surely appreciate the universal value of saving lives.
According to Symbolic Interactionist Sociology, communication is the only way in which people make sense of their social worlds.
In the face of Covid-19, health education has to fundamentally start at the household level. Parents must educate their children on the risks associated with disregarding health recommendations.
As children basically learn from their parents, adults must certainly lead by example. Unnecessary movements must be roundly condemned.
In the event of essential movement, proper wearing of masks must definitely become a norm. And children, too, must similarly wear their personal masks.
More importantly, the new norm of physical distancing must be observed in all public spaces to confer proper health socialisation to our children.
Similarly, customs such as handshakes, hugging and kissing must be condemned.
Likewise, sanitisation is no longer a luxury, but, a necessary ritual. Effectively, every household must ensure the availability and use of safe water and alcohol-based sanitisers.
Though local authorities have been mostly found wanting on the need to provide safe water to the general populace, water harvesting in this rainy season will significantly improve on hand hygiene.
However, the city fathers ought to seriously consider the provision of uninterrupted safe water supplies to all residential and commercial areas.
Henceforth, the Government must emphatically ensure the dissemination of comprehensive health education on the prevention of Covid-19.
More significantly, informative and educative communication material must be written in local languages for the benefit of all citizens.
Crucially, Covid-19 awareness campaign teams must be seen in all corners of the country. An informed nation is equally an empowered nation!
Of note, traditional leaders must be unequivocally empowered to police social gatherings. At most funerals, attendance is dangerously exceeding the recommended figures.
Ultimately, saving lives is increasingly becoming the net social value. Hand washing with water and soap has effectively become an important ritual. And wearing of masks, observing physical and social distances have become our new norms. Avoid customs such as handshakes, hugging and kissing.
Everisto Mapfidze is a registered general nurse who holds a Bsc Honours in Sociology (UZ). For feedback: Whatsapp +263774042111 or Face book: Health Talk with Everisto Mapfidze.
