Why there may already be up to 10,000 Convid-19 sufferers in Nigeria and how to restrain a further spread of the disease

ONWUASOANYA FCC JONES

Lagos is the most dangerous place for Corona virus; Convid-19 to enter Nigeria through. Lagos is the most populated city in Nigeria, may Africa and I doubt if we have enough facilities and personnel on ground to curtail the spread of such a dangerous disease.

We have a very big problem in our hands, because this Italian came into Lagos in a aircraft that couldn’t have had less than 50 people on board. These 50 people have already departed either to homes or hotels or even to clubs and other social gatherings. Some of them have already gone beyond passive contacts with people to deep contacts, including sexual intercourse. The fact is that while we pray and hope that this Italian remains the only Convid-19 sufferer in Nigeria, there could actually have been up to 10,000 people in Nigeria who may have contacted the virus or stand a chance of picking it up.

Authorities are said to have begun a manhunt for those who have had any contact with this Italian Convid-19 importer, and we can only pray anxiously that they succeed in tracking all of them down and quarantining them.

It is in times like these that we remember the sacrifices made by Dr. Ameyo Adedavoh, Nurse Justina Ejelonu and other staff of First Consultant Hospital, in the same Lagos who risked all to avert a wider spread of the very virulent Ebola disease. These medical personnel paid the supreme price, eventually. We do not wish for the current medical personnel treating and possibly battling to restrain the disease die in the course of this, rather, we wish for the smallest possible casualties.

The Nigerian Health Ministry and other relevant agencies and ministries should be more proactive in curtailing a possible wider outbreak of this disease. They should learn from other countries, especially, in Europe that are currently battling the virus. Some of the steps that may be taken, as learnt from China and other countries are;

1. Special Hospitals, especially, in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and other international entry points and commercial nerve centers like; Kaduna, Aba, Onitsha and Ogun State, for quarantining and isolation of Convid-19 sufferers and those suspected to have come in contact with them.
2. International airports and of course all airports in Nigeria should be under constant surveillance by medical workers, including, epidemiologists.
3. If the Italian is resident in Nigeria, his family, close friends and co-workers should be immensely identified and quarantined.
4. If he has children and a wife, schools where his children are should be identified and all staff and pupils quarantined. His wife’s place of work should also be identified and those who have come in contact with her should be isolated.
5. A special team of health workers should be stationed in every city in the country, especially, in cities at the highest risk of getting exposed to the outbreak of the virus. This is important in order to reduce the risks of exposure among health workers. Those who make up this team of health workers should be placed on special pay package, that would also include a heavy and highly encouraging insurance package for their families and dependants.
6. Nigeria should not be ashamed to seek the assistance of WHO as soon as possible, if we are not very confident of handling this outbreak on our own.