Dr Lanre Olosunde, the President of Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) chapter, has advised the Federal Government to step up screening at N8geria’s airports and borders to prevent the Coronavirus outbreak in China.
Olosunde gave the advice on Friday in Ilorin, while, he noted that the call had become necessary considering the rate of international travels all over the world.
He stressed the need to monitor every border, adding that it is important to prevent the virus from getting into Nigeria.
According to him, this can be achieved by ensuring that people from outside the shores of the country are properly screened at the point of entry.
He observed that the virus was spreading with about 830 confirmed cases of patients infected with the virus in some parts of the world.
The ARD president described coronavirus as a common virus that causes upper respiratory infection symptoms like stuffy nose, cough, and sore throat and infection in the nose, sinuses or upper throat.
“According to theWebMD, in early January 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has identified a new type: 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in China.
“Most coronaviruses spread the same way other cold-causing viruses do: through infected people coughing and sneezing, by touching an infected person’s hands or face, or by touching things such as doorknobs that infected people have touched.
“There is no vaccine for coronavirus and it can only be prevented through washing hands thoroughly with soaps and warm water or with an alcohol-based hand sanitiser is important.
“Keeping hands and fingers away from eyes, mouth and nose, while also avoiding contact with people infected,” Olusunde added.
