The National Economic Council (NEC) has alerted Nigerians to the symptoms of the Corona virus and what to do to prevent the disease.
Corona virus, found in Wahum, a city of over 11 million people in China has spread to US, Thailand, Japan and South Korea.
Over 500 people are believed to have been infected by the virus leading to fears around the world that it could wreak more havoc, if not speedily contained.
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State briefed State House correspondents after NEC meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, yesterday.
He said that the Minister of Health briefed the council on Corona virus, Lassa fever, Polio eradication and other health concerns as well as on efforts being made to address the challenges.
Meanwhile, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has said steps were being taken to prevent its infiltration into Nigeria through passengers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
Mrs. Victoria Shina-Aba, FAAN’s regional manager, South-West, gave stated this in Lagos, yesterday.
Shina-Aba said a number of activities have been triggered to control the coronavirus, if detected at the point of entry (MMIA), adding that primary screening was in progress.
She advised passengers and airport users to comply with all quarantine procedures and submit themselves for routine quarantine checks whenever they were asked to do so at the nation’s airports.
Airport authorities along with health personnel, were monitoring the temperature of all arrivals and carrying out enhanced visual observation for obvious signs of the communicable disease.
“Passengers with any of the following, fever, such as temperature above or equal to 38 degrees Celsius, jaundice, skin rash, persistent diarrhea and persistent cough, would be referred to secondary screening.
“Others are: difficulty in breathing, complaints of headache, neck stiffness, decreased consciousness, lethargy, unexplained bleeding, as well as persistent vomiting,” she said.
Shina-Aba stated that passengers would be referred to secondary screening, where the secondary screening form was used.
She noted that, if there was an obvious public health threat, the passenger would be transferred to the designated hospital (Lagos Mainland Hospital), following appropriate protocols, for further evaluation.
A medical official at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Wilfred Haggai, explained that the areas for enhanced surveillance included the point of entry, on board the aircraft and the passenger handling service on the arrival queue.
Haggai added that others were within the terminal building and within a 400-metre radius of the point of entry and outside the point of entry.
He said, at the state and local government levels, health facilities must be informed to always take travel history of patients and the state must do a lot of work with the health facilities.
