The word ‘2-faced’ may not resonate well but permit me to quickly bring you up to speed if you’re in the dark. Two-faced does not in any way lend credence to your original face and the look on your face when you mask up.

A two-faced person according to Oxford Languages, is insincere and deceitful.

This definition drives home my point on how the Ghanaian has pushed real-time adherence to the back burner when around his family or close circle of friends.

The two-faced person may give you a vague notion of what exactly my write-up is about. These words ought to allay your doubts: One person in a mask on the outside and without a mask on the inside.

This behaviour is not far-fetched as we know for a fact that, the protocols are swept under the carpet when the Ghanaian leaves a public space for ‘HOME.’

The Ghanaian is pontificating righteousness. Cladding in a glossy outfit, looking his best and masking up in the same fabric to match, ends up in casual handshakes and hugs from people he holds dear.

Some people mask up but as soon as they walk up to you, they pull it under the chin and talk for the avoidance of repetition of words absorbed by the mask.

The Ghanaian appears to have not discerned the true intent of hand-washing plus mask-wearing up until now.

Thoughts of having to go through the fate of suffering the depression and stigma coronavirus comes with, drives the ordinary Ghanaian to rouse from the stupor of his carelessness and forge mask wearing. This is purely a knee jerk reaction.

That realisation had forced us to not practise and follow the necessary safety protocols to the latter and that undoubtedly accounts for the resurgence in new cases.

This whole debacle of introducing a much stringent restriction would prove futile at a time where the Ghanaian is two-faced.

These thoughts are well-thought through and I can’t help thinking if anyone would throw challenges at that.

If we continue being two-faced and hypocritical rather than cowering to the rules as set out by WHO and articulated by lead virologists and medical practitioners across the country, we would be shooting ourselves in the leg, looking ourselves in the mirror and asking ourselves very nasty questions.

The outstanding question is how really can we forestall this problem with all of this deceitful mask wearing habits?

I’m struggling to believe that the Ghanaian is a two-faced person even in this uncertain times. Two-faced in this regard means a ‘HYPOCRITE.’

Given the circumstances, the reason for which the Ghanaian must wash his hands regularly, be it after tampering with cash or any surface is to prevent the possible transfer of the virus to the face.

Humans as we are almost invariably touching our faces everyday and you definitely cannot do way with face touch.

I dread to think that the Ghanaian after throwing out of the window all the safety protocols even at home would go to a public space and claim sacrosancy of keeping to the rules as set out by the World Health Organisation.

Whereas, the Ghanaian shares the same home and kitchen essentials like plates, spoons, cups (usually rinsed), stools, rooms, door knobs, bed and a dizzying array of these stuffs without a single adherence to the Covid-19 protocols.

On the flipside, the Ghanaian talks to one another without any face covering in the house but in turn goes to the public space with a three layered surgical nose mask before addressing anybody for any reason whatsoever.

Generally, students are back to school to make up for the time lost in the space of barely a year. Hostels are replete with University students ranging from 2, 3 to 4 in a room.

The student throws out of the window the safety protocols in any case and refuses to test for the virus.

The Hypocritical side: Fidget with the mask, pull the mask under your nose and completely off your face to rest under your chin.

Realistically speaking, the student goes to the school space in a three layered nose mask, forging protection and meaning to say that the virus could lay fingers on him just in the public space like the school.

“Just as bullets don’t discriminate, Coronavirus would in no way discriminate.”

For the lack of a better word, the market woman or food vendor at the roadside does the nasty things at ‘HOME,’ and however dresses her surrounding, covers the mess neatly and decently so to speak; welcome the Ghanaian to come buy Covid-19 in the midst of veronica buckets, soap and sanitizer.

In the very unlikely event that a consumer contemplates sanitizing the food (which is highly unreasonable,) all consumers are infected. The Super Spreader Effect.

I suppose it takes a discerning mind to step up the game in the fight against this pandemic. The future does not look so promising but rather bleak if coronavirus is sold and masks worn deceitfully.

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The writer is a student of the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ)