A tweet recently predicted that Nigeria may handle coronavirus better due to our previous experiences with viral diseases like Ebola. As Nigeria identifies 100 people who may have been exposed to the virus, this may be true. It is a relief to see that authorities are working hard to get this under control.
Nigeria identifies 100 people who may have been exposed to coronavirus
Currently, the health authorities in Nigeria have identified people in Lagos and Ogun who came in contact with the Italian man known to be the country’s first coronavirus case.
Recall that Nigeria’s first coronavirus virus case was recorded in Lagos on the 24th of February. He came in from Milan on a Turkish Airlines flight connected to Istanbul. The next day he travelled to Ogun state and stayed in the country for nearly two days before being isolated.
The Lagos state health commissioner, Akin Abayomi, revealed around 100 people came in contact with the Italian. However, he reports that the “number is increasing every minute.”
Image: Pixabay
Speaking further, Abayomi revealed during the interview that the Italian has no signs of respiratory symptoms that could make his infection contagious. Abayomi made the revelation at the Emergency Operation Centre at the Mainland Hospital in Yaba, where the patient is being quarantined.
“By Saturday, his symptoms had subsided. He hasn’t developed any respiratory symptoms and we are quite happy about that. Because if he has respiratory symptoms like coughing and sneezing, it makes the disease more contagious,” Abayomi said. In addition, the 100 persons the Italian had contact with were being jointly monitored by Lagos and Ogun states.
Also, the authorities have found the hotel room where the Italian lodged on Monday night.
“We’re going there this morning (Saturday) to decontaminate the room and the entire hotel. We will identify all the people who had contact with him in the hotel,” he said.
Since the identification of this coronavirus case, which is the first in sub-Saharan Africa, there have been widespread worries that health systems of the region would fall short.
Also read: World Health Organisation Estimates Africa’s Readiness Against Coronavirus At 66 Per Cent
Source: 1stnews
