Everything you need to know about Nigeria’s second case of coronavirus
On February 25th, 2020, the first coronavirus case was announced in Nigeria. The patient was an Italian visiting Nigeria from Milan. He had been in the country for about 2 days and had even visited Lagos and Ogun before his medical condition was detected.
Yesterday, the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire announced the second case of the coronavirus disease in Nigeria in a press conference at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin City.
According to him, the Federal Ministry of Health had isolated 40 and 20 people in Ogun and Lagos respectively, as they had all been in contact with the index case. All of the people under isolation had displayed no symptoms of the disease, but following best practices, the ministry had them all tested, regardless. This is how the new case was detected.
“On March 8th, 2020, scientists confirmed the presence of coronavirus in one of the contacts. It is my duty, therefore, to announce a new case of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Nigeria.”
The new case was in contact with the index case
The minister explained that the new case did not display any clinical symptoms, but was already in care at the Infectious Disease Hospital in Lagos. He reaffirmed that this newly confirmed case was not another importation, but a contact of the index case, who is still in isolation and under clinical follow-up.
He added that the other contacts of the index case in Lagos and Ogun will remain in isolation, and testing will be done on those not yet tested.
On misinformation and fake news
While the news about the second case of coronavirus is true, sharing misinformation and fake news is a sure way to spread panic, and we do not need that right now. Sharing news only from verified sources is a good way to avoid this. Remember the news spreading on Whatsapp about the driver of the initial coronavirus patient escaping from quarantine and threatening to spread the virus if his family wasn’t paid 100 million Naira? Not true, guys.
Some contacts are still at large
The Ministry of Health has been working to identify all who had been with the Italian on the Turkish Airlines flight from February 24th, 2020. The Lagos State Commissioner for Health has reported that officials are experiencing some difficulty in tracking down two people who were on that flight. He urged Nigerians with relevant information to share with the Lagos State Ministry of Health.
Protect yourself
From your end, there’s nothing you can do about the second coronavirus case, but the Ministry of Health advises that you take care of yourself and others by doing the following:
- Regularly and thoroughly wash your hands with soap & water for at least 30 seconds, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Maintain at least 2 metres distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing repeatedly.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or handkerchief when coughing or sneezing, and dispose of the used tissue immediately. Alternatively, use your bent elbow when you cough or sneeze, if no tissue is available.
- Stay at home if you feel unwell with symptoms like fever, cough, sneezing, or difficulty in breathing.
Stay safe, everyone.
