QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Residents in the nothern Syrian city of Qamishli move about as normal to acquire their livelihoods or visit doctors, in addition to workers and vendors in the center of Qamishli and its market. Clealry, many people are not taking the pandemic and its prevention seriously, although there are no statistics showing the extent of commitment to safety measures and prevention of coronavirus.
While the Health Board in the Jazira region warns of an increase in infections in the region and calls for following prevention measures and physical distancing because it is "the most appropriate solution to prevent infection," some residents who wear masks and adhere to preventive measures are exposed to ridicule and belittlement because “they give the subject more than it deserves" according to one of the residents.
Abu Omran used to go shopping to buy his family's needs in the city market wearing a black cloth mask. Among the dozens of people, you may see one person wearing a mask or rubber gloves.
Abu Omran said that he and his family all adhere to the rules of safety and prevention and that as soon as coronavirus began to spread in European countries, they started using masks and sterilizers, and that he is the only one of the family who goes out to bring what they need.
The forty-year-old man confirms that he was not spared from being subjected to comments and sometimes ridicule from his social circle due to his commitment to health safety rules. He adds that he was subjected to chastisement and embarrassment by his friends after he reduced family visits, but he endured them "due to the severity of the disease."
On the other hand, many still believe the falsehood of the spread of the disease and the measures imposed by the Autonomous Administration, such as 16-year-old Ali Jiwan Mahmoud, who is waiting to sell the last of his peaches on his cart parked in front of the closed shops on the main street of the city.
"This virus is being blown totally out of proportion. More people suffer and die from the flu and other medical issues. The media is doing their best to scare folks far more than they should be. The news media needs to be ashamed of their scare tactics with this virus, and scaring people from disease is a commercial goal to sell masks and other materials related to prevention," Mahmoud said.
However, Hammoud al-Hassan, who was waiting for his employer and did not wear a mask, said that his failure to wear a mask is negligence and that people who adhere to safety procedures are right.
Muhammad Khalaf, deputy co-chair of the Health Board in the Jazira region, urged residents to follow preventive measures and social distancing because these are the most appropriate solutions to prevent infection, and he said that the region is now witnessing a spike in the numbers of infection, which heralds a huge spread of the virus.
The World Health Organization has called on people periodically to follow safety measures such as washing hands, maintaining physical distancing, and wearing masks and gloves to prevent infection with the emerging virus.