The State Government of Osun has cautioned residents of the state to guide against contacting coronavirus as the disease has hit Abidjan the commercial capital of Côte d’Ivoire in West Africa.
This is contained in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Health, Dr Olasiji Olamiju and made available to the press secretary of the ministry. According to the statement, the Special Adviser expressed his dismay to the high rate at which the strange disease is spreading across the nations of the world.
He said a suspicious case of the virus also known as novel Coronavirus strain (2019nCoV) has been recorded in Abidjan, Côte d’lvoire, a West African country.
He stated that it has become imperative for every residents of Ejigbo and Osu both in Ejigbo and Atakumosa West local government Areas of the state to observe simple precautionary measures to keep safe and stay alive.
He explained further that it is a known fact that Ejigbo has the largest population of Nigerians living in Côte d’Ivoire and are popular for massive migration to the francophone country, a phenomenon which he claimed started in 1902. He also appealed to Osu people to exercise caution as they have some Chinese nationals in mining sites in the town.
He revealed that the disease manifests itself in a flu-like symptoms that can lead to severe respiratory syndromes, adding that it is a new strain with symptoms such as coughing, sneezing and breathing difficulties noting that it is still being studied by researchers.
Dr. Olamiju then enjoined citizens of the state to abide strictly by the recommendations of international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), to protect themselves from the virus by practising basic hand washing, respiratory hygiene, hydration of throats, adopting healthy eating practices and avoiding close contact with people having symptoms of respiratory illness.
He did not hesitate to strongly advise Ejigbo people to avoid travelling to Abidjan for now and be watchful of visitors they receive from Côte d’Ivoire as a preventive measure against importing the deadly virus into country.”
The statement also advised health care workers to adhere to standard safety precautions at all times by ensuring that they protect themselves.
While the statement urged health workers in the state to scale up their level of preparedness, it assured the populace of swift response by the State Government, Ministry of Health, Primary Healthcare Development Board and the Department of Public Health to render quality healthcare services in any suspected case.
