INVESTIGATING THE COVID-19 SAFETY COMPLANCE LEVEL IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY

Coronavirus pandemic 2019 (COVID-19) is the latest infectious disease to develop rapidly worldwide (Van Doremalen, 2020), to the extent of a severe global pandemic [McDowel, 2020]. The etiologic agent of COVID-19 is the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which emerged in Wuhan, China [WHO, 2020]. The outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and many countries including Nigeria has been affected by this virus.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) are positive-sense, single stranded RNA viruses and its diameters is 60 nm to140 nm with spike like projection on it’s around which giving it a crown like appearance. Their viral is RNA genomic and their ranges from 26 to 32 kilobases in length. COVID-19 belongs to the Nidovirales order which includes Roniviridae, Arteriviridae, and Coronaviridae families. The Coronviridae family is subdivided into Torovirinae and Coronavirinae subfamilies. Coronavirinae is further sub classified into alpha, beta, gamma, and delta. Phylogenetic clustering accounts from the classification of these subtypes of viruses. It can be isolated from different animal species. In 1960 first case of coronavirus was notified and Canadian study in 2001 was identified approximately 500 patients as Flu-like system in which 17 to 18 cases were confirmed as infected with Coronavirus by polymerase chain reaction. These include livestock, birds, and mammals such as bats, camels, masked palm civets, dogs, mice, and cats. In 2003, various reports were published the spreading of Coronavirus in many countries such as Hong Kong, United States America, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan and their several case of severe acute respiratory syndrome which caused by Coronavirus and their mortally was more than 1000 patient.

A pandemic is a disease outbreak that spreads across countries or continents. It affects more people and takes more lives than an epidemic which according to the World Health Organization (WHO), declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic when it became clear that the illness was severe and that it was spreading quickly over a wide area.

The outbreak of pandemic Covid-19 all over the world has disturbed the educational, political, social, economic, religious, and financial structures of the whole world. The world’s topmost economies such as the US, China, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, and many others are on the verge of collapse. Besides, Stock Markets around the world have been pounded and oil prices have fallen off a cliff. In just a week 3.3 million Americans applied for unemployment and a week later another 6.6 million people started searching for jobs. Also, many experts on economic and financial matters have warned about the worsening condition of global economic and financial structure.

The outbreak of this virus in Nigeria brought about several restrictions on all sectors of operations in Nigeria as it was described to be communicable and deadly by world health organization.

In order to curtail and manage the spread of the virus in Nigeria, the federal Government mandated the use of face-mask; social distancing, use of sanitizers in washing hands and cleaning surface, this safety measures are all applicable to all sector and including academic institutions. However, before the resumptions of schools, the Nigeria Governments urged all schools to ensure that there is an adequate compliance to Covid-19 safety measures. Thus, the level at which secondary schools in Asaba Delta State Nigeria comply with those mandated safety measures have been uncertain likewise other parts of Nigeria. Thus, this study emerged as a result of this uncertainty.

1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Coronavirus disease spreads primarily through contact with an infected person when they cough or sneeze. It also spreads when a person touches a surface or object that has the virus on it, then touches their eyes, nose, or mouth.

Covid-19 has been known to be a very dreadful and deadly disease that has the ability to destroy human lives including children, adolescent, youths and adults across the world at large.

The Nigerian Government from the very first outbreak of this virus in Nigeria necessitated the application of prevention measures among secondary schools across the country. These stated measures according to the World Health Organization which is in line with that of Nigerian government includes; constant use of face mask, constant washing of hands which schools are to provide water and soup at strategic areas in the school premises before the entrance of the students into the school, use of hand sanitizers, maintaining social distancing by arranging the classroom to comply to this and avoid touching of surfaces. However most secondary schools in Nigeria are over crowded and the rate of law avoidance and neglects among adolescents (secondary School students) is overwhelming. According to Carlis (2003) students in Secondary level are most adolescents who delights in the execution of their over will and are executors and emulators of peer group. Hence this study is focused on Investigating the level secondary schools comply to the covid-19 safety measures.

1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The basic or most essential grail of this study is to Investigate the Covid-19 Safety Compliance Level in Secondary Schools. Other specific objectives includes;

1. To identify if Secondary school students in Asaba, Delta state Nigeria complies with the Covid-19 safety prevention measure.

2. To assess the extent to which the students abide by the covid-19 preventive measures?

3. To assess the extent to which the staff and management of secondary schools in Asaba adhere to the covid-19 preventive measures?

4. To examine the level at which government monitory team visits secondary schools in Asaba to ensure complete and constant compliance of the covid-19 preventive measure by the schools.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION

1. Does secondary school students in Asaba, Delta state Nigeria complies with the Covid-19 safety prevention measure?

2. To what extent do students adhere the prevention measures?

3. To what extent do students adhere the prevention measures?

4. How frequent does government monitory team visits secondary schools in Asaba to ensure complete and constant compliance of the covid-19 preventive measure by the schools?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will be of unspeakable importance to the Federal and state Government as it will expose the situation of compliance by secondary school students in Asaba Delta State, and the gaps the enforcement agencies creates which stipulate irregular adherence to covid 19 rules and restrictions. And the recommendations will make a great impact on how to tighten the restrictions. The study however will also help school stake holders on what best way to ensure the safety of the students. This study will serve as a reference material to students, researchers and scholars who may want to carry out further research on this topic or related domain in the future..

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study- the investigation of Covid-19 Safety Compliance Level in Secondary Schools covers only selected secondary schools in Asaba Metropolis, Delta State Nigeria.

1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Compliance: the act of obeying and observing that which is lawful and legal.

Transportation Company: A transportation company is a business that transports freight from one location to another which is a key in the value chain in manufacturing.

Covid 19: This is also known as coronavirus and it is a communicable respiratory disease caused by a new strain of coronavirus that causes illness in humans.

Government: The body of persons that constitutes the governing authority of a political unit or organization: such as. a : the officials comprising the governing body of a political unit and constituting the organization as an active agency.