'Sanitizers and social distancing are your condoms!' HIV+ Phenny Awiti on coronavirus

Piece by: Caren Nyota
Lifestyle

Kenyan woman Phenny Awiti living positively with HIV/AIDs is doing all it takes not to contract (Covid-19) just like millions across the world. Awiti, who gave birth recently, has shared her two cents on the global health pandemic.

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Having lived through the AIDS Epidemic, this is how I suppose we should live through the COVID-19 period. Around 1992, just when I was born, about a decade since HIV/AIDS was discovered, AIDS was declared an outbreak that would kill humans within a day or less. Just when my dad passed on in 97, the virus had already been declared a national disaster by the then President, Moi.

ARVs was introduced in the world after so many attempts failed, just like scientists are trying now with COVID-19. Activism was done by then. Specifically in Kenya, I began reading the story of our very own Asunta Wagura, who came out during the AIDS Epidemic,' she wrote in part.

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The 28-year-old mother of three further revealed that Coronavirus cannot be compared to HIV/AIDs.

Corona affects the respiratory system, and blocks it from the little knowledge I hear, making it so hard to breath, so getting a vaccine 💉 would be effective at this point. It gets into the body through open places specifically the eyes, ears and nose. AIDS was a different story, still is in some countries. It is the last stage of HIV. Also, the virus making up AIDS ; HIV, is transmitted through se3ual intercourse, during birth, blood transfusion or sharp objects on the bodies. Clearly, it is nothing compared to COVID-19.

But have in mind, not touching your face, nose, eyes or ears, is close to impossible. That is why sanitizing and maintaining proper hygiene is highly encouraged during this period.

Panic and anxiety is not an exception! In fact, it is very fine to panic during this period, psychologically, it is helpful, it makes you go through the whole process of an epidemic breakout, which is worldwide.

Anyway, when ARVs were introduced, people literally “rose from the dead” like Lazarus! It was this effective! And with time, it is becoming even much better because of the advancement, free treatment and of course, more awareness of both HIV and AIDS. AIDS came with shame because it was a “se3ual” epidemic. At least COVID-19, is more hygienic. I mean, you having COVID-19 now is not stigmatizing as such, because you will say you forgot to keep social distance or wash your hands. Not like AIDS.

AIDS literally made you a skeleton, with so many panic billboards around especially in Kenya reading “UKIMWI unauua “ with an image of a very unhealthy person who has fallen brown unhealthy hair with wrinkled skin and very thin like a skeleton!

Come on! we are not yet there with COVID-19! The world economy might be slowly deteriorating with the lockdowns, but not for long.

Now, the AIDS fear is back, with all of us feeling like we have the symptoms of COVID-19.

The best way to get through this period is;

Assuming you are not infected though taking precautions on all the measures.

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Advising people to take care and follow measures put in place to avoid getting infected, she wrote,

Just use the condom of our time; sanitizer! COVID-19 is very sneaky! In the labs, it was declared active for about three hours in air, and three days on plastics or stainless steel containers. If you are infected, you won’t know for about five days or even 19 days. More reason for keeping social distance.

While HIV heads for the CD-4 cells, COVID-19 scrambles for the lungs!

Social distancing is hard for extroverts, same way using condoms is still hard for those who like raw se3. How long can we stay without meeting friends or having dinners?

How long can you stay in a relationship using condoms?

There you go! Keep safe, sanitize, because the sanitizers and social distancing are your condoms!

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