A few days ago, I wrote a blog on ‘Sharing and Developing Ideas, Research and Innovation During Emergencies and I received a lot of questions directly. Some questions were more specific on vaccines like:

‘…the bit about vaccines is quite intriguing if not controversial. The jury on the origins of AIDS, it seems, is still out there. Or did it make its findings & deliver its verdict?

Others asked me about the state of research in the country

The current COVID-19 pandemic has exposed Kenyans to state-enforced public health protocols at odds with their daily schedules. These include quarantine, curfew and cessation of movement across specific counties, including Mombasa. Put together, the three answer to isolation and containment. Whereas quarantine separates and restricts movement of people who have potentially been exposed to a contagious disease in order to limit disease spread, curfews require people to remain indoors between specified hours.

Globally, the last few weeks have been the peak of great awareness and education on COVID-19. This virus needs to be better understood from a layman’s point in order to make information easily disseminated, especially on the African continent. African countries need to provide continuous education and awareness to their populations on the need to keep social distancing, washing hands with sanitisers or soap frequently and wearing masks.