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Taming Coronavirus in Nigeria

Taming Coronavirus in Nigeria

THE current global concern is the outbreak of Coronavirus, which is spreading across the world like wildfire. First identified in Wuhan, China towards the close of 2019, the disease has spread to 122 countries and territories around the world, with 125,643 confirmed cases and 4,607 deaths as of March 11, 2020, thus making it the greatest global scourge in recent times. On February 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced an official name for the disease as Coronavirus Disease 2019, abbreviated as COVID-19. In COVID-19, ‘CO’ stands for ‘corona,’ ‘VI’ for ‘virus,’ and ‘D’ for disease. Formerly, this disease was referred to as “2019 novel Coronavirus” or “2019-nCoV”.

WORST hit countries, according to March 11, 2020 statistics, are China with total cases of  80, 790, including 36 new cases and 3, 158 deaths;  Italy with 12, 462  cases, including 2, 313 new cases and 827 deaths;  Iran with 9, 000 cases, including 958 new cases and 354 deaths and South Korea with 7, 755 cases and 60 deaths. Other countries that have also reached a thousand threshold are France, with 2, 281 cases and 48 deaths; Spain, with 2, 222 cases and 54 deaths; Germany, with 1, 908 cases and 3 deaths; and the United States of America, with 1, 109 cases and 31 deaths.

TWELVE African countries have been affected with the virus, as Egypt tops the list with 60 cases and one death and Morocco with five cases and one death. Others are Algeria with 20 cases, South Africa with 13 cases, Tunisia and Senegal with seven and four cases respectively, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Cameroon with two cases each and Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo and Togo with one recorded case each as at the last count.

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THE outbreak of this virus has continued to take its toll on both the national and global economies, with the world having lost 50 billion dollars and also, according to the International Air Transport Association, the global airlines standing to lose 113 billion dollars in sales, if the coronavirus continues to spread. Besides, social, tourism and sporting activities which fetch billions of dollars to most countries have been halted. For instance, Italy has been totally locked down, while other severely hit countries have been partially locked down.

THE epidemic has affected the importation of goods from China into other countries, with Nigeria included, as it imports 70 percent of its medicines and other active and non-active ingredients from China. According to reports, Nigerians have begun to flee products manufactured by China for the phobia of coronavirus. This thus signals a health crisis in the country should the situation persist.

THE first case of this virus in Nigeria, which affected an Italian, was confirmed in Lagos State, while the second case was confirmed in  Ogun State. This worrisome virus has since instilled fear in the minds of many people, as most citizens are now wary of direct contacts, especially in overcrowded places. They take precautionary measures by using nose masks and sanitizers, but all these are not really enough in taming this virus in the country.

ON taming the coronavirus in  the country, we call on Nigerian governments at all levels to go beyond all rhetoric and put up serious measures in terms of preventions and treatments, and there is the need for isolation wards to keep people infected with the virus, as well as proper monitoring systems for those infected. More so, all our entry routes should be manned for serious screening, and precautionary measures should be placed at borders of the states and countries.

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 SENSITIZATION should be made in order for citizens to know the drastic effect of this virus, as most people are ignorant, while some take it with levity. Frequent hand washing with soap and water or disinfection of hands with alcohol-based hand sanitizers, especially before eating or after having a direct contact with another person, is necessary. Also, covering of mouth and nose with tissues or clothes when coughing or sneezing and wearing of nose-mask are standard recommendations and best defences against this deadly disease.

FURTHERMORE, taming this virus in Nigeria requires precautionary measures to be taken in public places like malls and banks, as the virus can be transmitted through banknotes. We urge the Nigerian government to intensify efforts on nose-mask production, as well as improving on the quality of hand sanitizers being produced in the country. The one billion naira the government of Nigeria says it has committed to fighting the virus should be translated to concrete steps and not end up in private pockets.

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