Ministry of health unfolds measures to prevent outbreak of lassa fever, Coronavirus

The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Adeleke Mamora, has explained what the Federal Government is doing to prevent the outbreak of Lassa fever and prevent coronavirus in the country.

Mamora in an interview said President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is working hard to ensure that the Lassa fever is adequately checked.

“The Emergency Preparedness Group is already activated and it is a multi-sectoral group coordinated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Then you have the Port services and officials of the Aviation and all that.

“Within the next couple of days, we are setting up a laboratory to diagnose which we don’t have at the moment. These are the measures that we have put in place,” he said.

The Minister explained further that the Federal Government is in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to get the reagents which he said will help for proper diagnosis, adding that Pending the time when that will be done, there should be an outbreak of coronavirus in Nigeria and samples will be taken either to Netherland or South Africa for confirmation.

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When asked when the reagents will be available, he simply replied saying: “Within the next few days because we should have that within the next 48 or 72 hours.”

He also explained why the World Health Organisation (WHO) has not declared the deadly coronavirus as a public health emergency.

“The World Health Organisation (WHO) is monitoring this development all over. The WHO is yet to declare coronavirus disease as a public health emergency because the world health body does not want to create an undue panic.

Mamora, however, advised Nigerians to avoid crowded areas, handshake and hugging people as some precautionary steps against the virus.