The World Health Organization (WHO) has harped on the need for countries to strengthen it’s preparedness and put in place strong surveillance to ensure rapid detection and response to the Novel coronavirus stressing that the virus transmission is still obscure.
Dhamari Naidoo, WHO technical officer, health emergency programme, explained that the virus is still new and there is still a lot unknown about how Coronavirus is transmitting except respiratory droplets and close unprotected contact with an infected person. She noted that as at Friday, there were 28,276 confirmed cases and over 560 deaths.
Naidoo speaking at a sensitization workshop with journalists in Abuja said the key is preparedness and countries need to ensure that they have laboratory and diagnostic capacity. She also urged countries to establish emergency management systems.
“To ensure rapid detection it is important to have laboratories which can test samples. In the next coming days, we expect 20 other countries in the region to have diagnostic capacity”, Naidoo said.
The technical officer restated that Nigeria is a high risk country and the high risk states includes; Abuja, FCT, Lagos, Kano, Cross River, Akwaibom, Porthacourt, Enugu, Delta and Bayelsa. Hence the need for strong surveillance.
She also pointed that out that Africa is a high risk continent because of the high level of travel between the Africa and China. She however noted that the region has made considerable progress in preparing for an influenza epidemic which is similar to the coronavirus.
“The preparatory groundwork that has already taken place for a flu pandemic can be used, should the Novel Coronavirus outbreak come to the region”, she said.
Naidoo further explained that the essence of the workshop was to sensitize health journalists on the Novel Coronavirus, she decried that there has been a lot of false information in the public space and if not curtailed could cause more havoc.
She revealed that there are some myths around the virus and it’s being given a false identify. For instance she urged that the Virus be addressed as ‘Novel Coronavirus’ and not as “the Chinese virus” or the “Wuhan Virus”. This according to her causes stigmatization.
Naidoo further said some persons have already developed myths on how to prevent the vurus such as eating garlic, gurgling mint, taking cocaine among others which according to her is totally wrong.
She stressed that it was important for journalists to understand the Coronavirus as conveyors of information, so as not to spread false information that could cause more havoc.
Godsgift Onyedinefu, Abuja
