Ogun State government in the wake of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in the state, and in a move to control the spread, confirmed that it has identified and quarantined about 28 persons who have had contact with the index patient.
The State has also kicked of the contact tracing exercise using the Disease Surveillance Notification Centres (DSNC), as the Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun disclosed this at a press briefing on Friday 28th February 2020.
The Governor at the Press briefing, said that the State has set up in all 20 Local Government Area in the State, to determine who and what exactly have come in contact with the State’s index patient who is a visiting foreigner, working in Ewekoro.
“From the tracing, we have been able to identify and quarantine about 28 persons who have been in contact with the index patient, while we set up two isolation centres within the Ewekoro company that remains shut to usual activities,” he said.
Stating further, Governor Abiodun said, the state have distributed equipment to medical personnel up to the LG level, and are also currently distributing a specialised app to health workers for the easier identification and isolation of persons suspected to be infected.
“The Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu has been empowered specifically to be a DSNC in case of an outbreak.
I have liaised with my Lagos counterpart and the concerned ministers and commissioners to upgrade our isolation centres to full-fledged bio-security centres,” the Governor added.
The index patient was said to have flew into Lagos from Milan in Italy via Istanbul, Turkey on Monday evening, before leaving for Ogun State.
After falling sick he checked himself into one of the hospitals were he was identified as having the virus. This immediately triggered all levels of bio-security responses/containment facilities, and after a series of laboratory examination, the index patient was confirmed to have tested positive to the virus in early hours of today (Friday)
He is currently in a stable condition at the Bio-security facility in Yaba, Lagos Mainland, where he is being isolated.
Meanwhile, here are some precautions as listed by Lagos State Health Commissioner Mr Abayomi on the Coronavirus:
Regularly and thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water, and use alcohol-based hand sanitises.
Maintain at least 1 & half metres (5 feet) distance between you and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
People coughing persistently or sneezing should stay indoors or keep a social distance, but not mix with a crowd.
Ensure that you and people around you follow good respiratory hygiene by covering mouths and noses with a handkerchief or tissue while sneezing or coughing.
You can also sneeze or cough into your sleeve at the bent elbow. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.
Stay indoors if you feel unwell with symptoms, such as fever, cough and difficulty in breathing.