Why line up for COVID-19 and not Silicosis, E. coli and other pathogens?

Mar 13, 2020 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

I view with amazement the long line up at pharmacies, hardware stores and outlets for masks and sanitizer. While I refrain from such a hysteria, I am left to wonder why the level of awareness for risk of infectious diseases that we are exposed to on a daily basis have not been raised.
While the fad of wearing a mask has just begun at the announcement of the first death in Guyana caused by COVID-19 (Coronavirus), I wish to bring to your attention the threat of other serious diseases.
For years the health of commuters, residents and those at large has been compromised by construction dust, garbage truck droppings, faeces from horses, dogs, sputum mixed with sand (Silica) deposited on the roadways by sand trucks, horse carts and animals as they move on the roadways.
The sand may cause Pneumoconiosis, a group of lung diseases that is caused by breathing in insoluble dusts, mostly mineral dusts, that the lungs can’t get rid of.
The most common diseases in this group are silicosis, coal miners’ pneumoconiosis and asbestosis. Silicosis is caused by inhaling crystalline silica (quartz) dust, commonly referred to as sand.
Each day we travel through plumes of silicate mixed with harmful bacteria such as E. coli and other pathogens, on our way to work.

98% of construction sites flout EPA laws governing the handling, disposal and containment of harmful dust all over this city of Georgetown and the rest of the country as a whole, yet they haven’t lined up for masks.
Many have died and the cause of death listed as pneumonia. I suggest we continue to line up even after this Coronavirus scare.
While we stampede to enrich the pharmaceutical industries and boost the sales of pharmacies, we must ensure restaurants and vendors in the markets wear gloves and masks forever, as a requirement of their licence to sell.
Don’t just stop at COVID-19 (Coronavirus). Make sure our streets are cleared of sand and faeces, if not, at least soaked to prevent being airborne. The monitoring and supervision of all construction sites to ensure dust blinds are installed.
As for COVID-19, we live near the equator and the chance of it being an epidemic here is slim.
The necessary sanitary precautions of washing hands along with the elements of cleanliness should prevail. A diet to boost your immune system is necessary to prevent infection. Pay attention to medical advisories. Don’t just run to pharmacies for masks.
Sincerely,
Louis Nestor

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