It is no longer news that Coronavirus, also referred to as COVID-19, has gained prominence in Nigeria. The pandemic which has shut down the entire world first entered Nigeria through an Italian man in February and since that time till now, the virus has spread across virtually all the states in NIgeria except few.
The Nigeria Center for Deceases Control (NCDC), which is saddled with the responsibility of testing and subsequent treating anyone whose results returns positive to COVID-19, has put a lot of efforts to make sure that the virus is curtailed to a minimal level. No doubt, NCDC officials are trying to make sure that COVID-19 cases are handled appropriately.
However, their policy on suspected victims of the virus needs to be adjusted. The process of taking their blood sample and allowing them to wait for many days without a plan to monitor or encourage them is highly risky. How they are allowed to move around instead of staying in one place until their results is out still baffles me.
On several occasions, suspected Coronavirus victims after taking their samples went ahead to move from one place to another in search of medical help themselves, there by endangering the lives of other people.
Leaving Covid-19 suspects in their houses during their testing circle can expose the family or those who live in the same yard to the virus.
A case study of such scenario is a policeman whose sample was taken in Lagos but shuttles between Lagos and Ondo States within the period of his test circle. In the course of this traveling, all those who might have had contact with him would have been at risk of contacting the disease if eventually he is tested positive to the virus.
Likewise, it was alleged that, the first confirm case of Corona virus in Kano State was a suspects whose blood sample was taken in Abuja, but refused to isolate himself and travel to the state where he had contact with a lot of people, thereby spreading the virus to innocent citizens.
If adequate measures were in place to monitor the movements of those suspected of COVID-19, such kinds of avoidable mistakes would have been averted.
Knowing fully well the nature of this virus, NCDC needs to be proactive on how anyone suspected of Corona virus is handled during the period of their test. They should be carried along in the process of the test to avoid subjecting them to different thought and speculations on their health status. It is not easy being kept in the dark over someone’s health. The thinking alone kills like the disease.
As a matter of urgency, NCDC needs to set up a unit that will monitor anyone awaiting his/her Corona virus test results or probably create a center where those whose blood sample are taken would be isolated to avoid absconding from their houses or unnecessary panic.
– Samuel Ugbede Usman wrote from Kogi State.
