SINCE the outbreak of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus was officially announced about three years back, it had become the focus of talk in society. A minister came armed with money and experienced men. He was asked to contain the spread of the virus and to enlighten people about protection methods. It seems to be no matter that the virus has violently come back, especially in Makkah Province and newspapers are reporting coronavirus deaths daily. The virus was not known to us before September 2012. Even when some cases appeared, the Ministry of Health did not give it due attention. The ministry said the camels were the main carriers of the virus, so people stopped eating their meat or drinking their milk. It did not consider the disease to be anything more than the seasonal infections that come every year with weather changes. However, it was not proven that the camels were the main cause of the virus. If true, why did the disease only appear about three years ago while the camels have been living with us for centuries? Someone criticized the ministry for asking people to wash their hands and use handkerchiefs when sneezing or coughing. He said people were civilized enough and did not need anyone to advise them about the necessity of cleanliness. I beg to disagree. Many of us are not really civilized enough as he erroneously believes. You may see a man riding a luxurious car and living in a villa and yet he spits on the floor and sneeze without covering his nose. Many people also come to the mosque in their nightwear and they never bother to cover their mouths or noses when they cough or sneeze. This will affect other people in the mosque who will try to cover their mouths with their headscarves to avoid the spread of the germs they are breathing. When this man does not bother about what may happen to other people around him, how can we expect infectious diseases including coronavirus not to spread?
