Role of the 21st Century Mother in Disease Prevention, COVID-19 Transmission

MOTHERS’ DAY CELEBRATION 2020 

Role of the 21st Century Mother in Disease Prevention, COVID-19 Transmission

Gender is very critical in our preparation to prevent any infection on earth from spreading! All genders play very important roles in disease prevention, and acknowledging them can motivate them to do more. The roles of women in our collective efforts to contain this novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, cannot be overlooked (Fig. 1). Though women may be seen busily working at our various work places, they are mostly the ones taking care of our various homes (Sharma et al., 2016; Friedemann & Buckwalter, 2015). It is an open secret that our little ones are mostly closer to their mothers than their fathers. In our fight to prevent the spread of COVID-19 Pandemic, social distancing has been one of the major ways of doing that. This cannot be complete if only adults are maintaining social distance and children are going about with their normal lives without doing the same.

Fig. The Role of Gender in the Prevention of Infectious Diseases, Like COVID-19.

Even amongst adults, it has not been easy for them to practice this new lifestyle of living, where they have to maintain social distance (Hartmann, 2020). There have been many reports of adults violating social distance (Agyeman, 2020; Crabbe, 2020; Hartmann, 2020), especially at our market places. So, you can imagine what our little ones would be doing if they are not controlled/monitored by their mothers! This puts our wives, mothers, and sisters as front-line workers right from the home or community level (Wenham et al., 2020).

Our little ones do not know what social distancing is except their mothers teach/tell them, and guide them to practice. Most of them listen to their mothers more! Without their mothers, we should forget about social distance amongst the kids; because their mothers are the ones mostly taking care of them (Jolly et al., 2014). All the preventive measures aimed at preventing the spread of SARS-CoV-2, such as; washing of hands with soap under clean running water for at least 20seconds, wearing of face/nose masks, sanitizing our hands with 70% alcohol-based hand sanitizers, and so on; can only be practiced by our children under instructions, mostly by their mothers. Mothers are also the ones who mostly bath their children to ensure that they are not dirty. SARS-CoV-2 is a virus like most infectious agents that like dirts and touching; so, bathing them helps reduces their risks of probably getting infected. Women are also the ones who would mostly wash their hands, sanitize them, and put face/nose masks on them. 

Children generally like roaming about and playing with friends (Vlaar et al., 2019; Marzi & Reimers, 2018), but you can never tell which child is asymptomatic and is capable of transmitting the virus. Though some literature is asking for parents to give their wards the freedom to roam neighborhood territories (Vlaar et al., 2019), at these particular difficult times, parent can do that at their own risks. The mother is the one who mostly ensures that her child(ren) is/are at home. No matter how careful you might be, if your kids are not well protected from the virus, it is like pouring kerosene into fire; thinking that you are quenching it. It is revealed that our 21^st Century children mostly have access to “Mobile devices” with an increasing percentage of 38% as at 2011 to 72% in 2013 (Bozzala et al., 2018; Redeout et al., 2013). As children roam about, they can get infected not only from infected sick persons or the asymptomatic ones (Brownson, 2020); but from some of these infected devices as they use the internet, computer, playing video games (either on the computers or phones), and so on (Bhatta, 2018; Bozzala et al., 2018).

When SARS-CoV-2 was first discovered in China, Wuhan, it was spreading amongst clusters of families in Beijing where family members were tested positive for COVID-19 (Song et al., 2020). There were also reports that children and their whole families were found to have been infected with the virus (Ji et al., 2020). This explains why there is the need for us to take social distancing and all the other preventive measures very serious. This will not be possible if you do not put your eyes on your child(ren), and this is mostly done by their mothers.

When Jesus parents took him to Jerusalem for the Passover and took away their eyes of him, they could not find him (Luke 2: 41-51, KJV). They tried to search for him everywhere amongst their Kinsmen ⁴⁴, but could not find him. So, what happened was that, they could not go home, they returned to Jerusalem ⁴⁵. It is said that his parents spent three days before they saw him in the temple ⁴⁶. His mother was the one who talked to him when they found him ⁴⁸. His parents could have beaten him for being too known or inquisitive, but they understood and took him home ⁵⁰. Jesus also became obedient to them when they went home ⁵¹. This biblical message is telling you as parents to be patients with your kids, especially during this difficult time. When you beat your children: you are chasing them to the virus!

Before, I forget, eating of a healthy diet is known to help boost our immune system to protect us from most sicknesses, especially viral diseases like COVID-19 (Prompetchara et al., 2020; Taghizadeh-Hesary & Akbari, 2020; Jayawardena et al., 2020). Though in our modern-day marriages, some men are also helping their wives with household chores, women are mostly in-charge of the kitchen and our bellies (Cerrato & Cifre, 2018). So, they are playing very critical roles, not only in COVID-19 pandemic’s prevention, but all diseases.

Though a research findings in the Central Region of Ghana revealed that “Small small quarrels bring about happiness or love in the relationships” (Dako-Gyeke, 2019), some men have been reported to have said that, they do not stay at home because of violence (Tribbett, 2020; TNN., 2017; Huntley et al., 2019). Both men and women are victims of domestic violence! As we remember mothers today; may all mothers use their uniqueness to make their homes look like junior heavens, so that their family members can stay home to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Recommendations

Ø  Without peace at our homes, social distancing and staying at home cannot be successful. Mothers have what it takes to create peace, even in the mist of violence. Do so, please.

Ø  At this particular moment, wives/mothers should be considerate and manage what ever chop money is given to them, to prepare nutritious meals for their family members. This will help boost their immunities to fight against most infectious disease, like COVID-19.

Ø  Though mothers by nature do not joke with their kids, at this particular time our kids need more attention than before, and it should be given to them.

Ø  You must show them more love than before, in order to win them from SARS-CoV-2. If you beat them: they will run to the virus. So, do not beat them.

Ø  Children will not frequently wash or sanitize their hands. Our mothers who are always their best friends, should not forget to always be doing that for them.

Ø  Though it is reported that some men are helping with house hold chores, men need to offer more helps to their wives, mothers, or sisters during this period.

Ø  All partners should use whatever they have to help each other safely stay at home.

References

Agyeman, A. T. (2020). Ghana: 4 Akropong Chiefs Arrested for Violating Social Distancing Order. Ghanaian Times (Accra), Retrieved, on 6th May 2020 around 9:25PM, from https://allafrica.com/stories/202005040769.html.

Cerrato, J., & Cifre, E. (2018). Gender Inequality in Household Chores and Work-Family Conflict. Front Psychol, 9: 1330. Doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01330.

Crabbe, N. (2020). COVID-19: Soldiers storm Chorkor after residents flouted lockdown directive to party at beach (video). Latest News, Retrieved on 14.04.2020 at 2:05AM from https://yen.com.gh/153299-covid-19-soldiers-storm-chorkor-residents-flouted-lockdown-directive-party-beach-video.html.

Friedemann, M., & Buckwalter, K., C. (2015). Family Caregiver Role and Burden Related to Gender and Family Relationships. J Fam Nurs., 20(3): 313-336. Doi: 10.1177/1074840714532715.

Hartmann, F. A. (2020). Watch How People Partied at Chorkor Beach on Easter Sunday. News, Retrieved from https://ghanaxtra.com/2020/04/watch-how-people-partied-at-chorkor-beach-on-easter-sunday.html on 14.04.2020 at 5:32AM.

Jayawardena, R., S., Sooriyaarachchi, P., Chourdakis, M., Jeewandara, C., & Ranasinghe, P. (2020). Enhancing immunity in viral infections, with special emphasis on COVID-19: A review. Diabetes Metab Syndr., Doi: 10.1016/j.dsx.2020.04.015.

Ji, L., C., Chao, S., Wang, YJ., Li, XJ., Mu, XD., Lin, MG., & Jiang, RM. (2020). Clinical features of pediatric patients with COVID-19: a report of two family cluster cases. World J Pediatr., 1-4. Doi: 10.1007/s12519-020-00356-2.

Jolly, S., G., Griffith, K., A., DeCastro, R., Stewart, A., Ubel, P., & Jagsi, R. (2014). Gender Differences in Times Spent on Parenting and Domestic Resposibilities by High-Achieving Young Physician-Researchers. Ann Intern Med., 160(5): 344-353. Doi: 10.7326/M13-0974.

Marzi, I., & Reimers, A., K. (2018). Children's Independent Mobility: Current Knowledge, Future Directions, and Public Health Implications. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 159(11): 2441. Doi: 10.3390/ijerph15112441.

Prompetchara, E., K., Ketloy, C., & Palaga, T. (2020). Immune Responses in COVID-19 and Potential Vaccines: Lessons Learned From SARS and MERS Epidemic. Asian Pac J Allergy Immunol., 38(1): 1-9. Doi: 10.12932/AP-200220-0772.

Sharma, N., C., Chakrabarti, S., & Grover, S. (2016). Gender differences in caregiving among family - caregivers of people with mental illnesses. World J Psychiatry, 6(1): 7-17. Doi: 10.5498/wjp.v6.i1.7.

Song, R., H., Han, B., Song, M., Wang, L., Conlon, C., P., Dong, T., Tian, D., Zhang, W., Chen, Z., Zhang, F., Shi, M., & Li, X. (2020). Clinical and epidemiological features of COVID-19 family clusters in Beijing, China. J Infet., Doi: 10.1016/j.jinf.2020.04.018.

Taghizadeh-Hesary, F., & Akbari, H. (2020). The Powerful Immune System Against Powerful COVID-19: A Hypothesis. Med Hypotheses, 109762. Doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2020.109762.

Vlaar, J., B., Brussoni, M., Janssen, I., & Masse, L., C. (2019). Roaming the Neighbourhood: Influences of Independent obility Parenting Practices and Parental Perceived Environment on Children's Territorial Range. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 16(17): 3129. Doi: 10.3390/ijerph16173129.

Wenham, C. S., Smith, J., & Morgan, R. (2020). COVID-19: the gendered impacts of the outbreak. Lancet., 395(10227): 846-848. Doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30526-2.

Note: This is a beautiful research area, those who have interest can take it up as a full project. There are more that I could have added, but I decided to shorten it for today's purpose. Thank you again for Reading!

Written by Benjamin Pulle Niriwa and Posted on 10th May 2020
Last Updated on 15th May 2020 at 11:26PM.