The outbreak of coronavirus in Italy has sparked fears among residents in Edo State.
This is because there is hardly any home in Benin City and environs that does not have a relative in Italy or other European countries.
There is also weekly influx of goods to Edo from Italy.
Italy is perhaps the first destination of choice for any young lady seeking to travel abroad or being trafficked.
Some persons, who spoke after report of an Italian testing positive to coronavirus in Lagos State, said they have contacted their loved ones to ensure they were safe.
Meanwhile the Edo State Government said it has commenced various activities to stop coronavirus from spreading to the state.
Commissioner for Health, Dr. Patrick Okundia, told reporters in Benin City that a team has been deployed to the Benin Airport to get information on the manifest of the airline that brought the Italian into the country.
Okundia said it has also sensitised staff at the Benin Airport on the screening modalities of air travellers as well as creating awareness for the public on the new coronavirus.
Okundia added that health care workers across all health facilities in the 18 local government areas have been sensitised while surveillance officers have been placed on red alert to carry out active case search in all health facilities at all entry points.
He further released phone numbers through which people could call for any information and report of suspected cases.
pidgin gist from bbc
Di Italian wey carri first case of Coronavirus enta Lagos, Nigeria bin also go di South West State of Ogun as im return from Milan before dem confam say im get di disease.
Dis na wetin Gbenga Omotoso, di Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy confam give BBC on Friday.
Nigeria Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire say dem don send more than 60 doctors go Murtala Muhammad International Airport to assist with testing of passengers wey dey arrive.
On Thursday na im di Nigerian Ministry of Health confam di first case of Coronavirus for Lagos, south west Nigeria.
Di Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire for statement say dem discover di case on di 27th of February, 2020 afta one Italian citizen wey dey work for Nigeria return back from Milan, Italy to Lagos on 25th February.
Oga Ehanire also say goment don start work to identify all those wey di patient don come in contact wit since e land Nigeria.
So far more than 80,000 pipo for nearly 50 kontries don catch di disease and nearly 2, 800 pipo don die since dey disease comot for China.
Even though di disease start for China, more cases of pipo wey don catch di disease don boku for oda kontris outside China and di latest of dem na Italy
Italy don become one of di major centres of di infection, as pipo wey di travel from dia di virus.
Nigeria Health Minister Osagie Emmanuel Ehanire on Friday morning brief tori pipo ontop di first case of COVID-19 disease for Nigeria.
How dem discover am?
Di minister yarn give say na Virology Laboratory for Lagos University Teaching Hospital na im dem discover say di Italian citizen get di disease.
So far di patient dey clinically stable and neva show any serious symptoms and dem di manage am for di infectious disease hospital for Yaba, Lagos, according to Nigeria Federal Ministry of Health.
Tori be say na di man waka go hospital by himsef afta e follow warning of Nigerian health authorities to separate imself from odas unpon arrival for Lagos, as e be say im fly in from kontri wia di coronavirus dey.
Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso also confam give BBC say di Coronavirus Patient Zero bin also enta di South West State of Ogun before im enat Lagos.
Image copyrightLAGOS STATE MINISTRY OF HEALTHWetin goment dey do to prevent di spread of di disease?
Di Nigerian goment say dem don di prepare tey tey to fight di virus.
Di minister say dem don tight measure to fight di outbreak plus contain di spread sharperly.
E say di multi-sectoral coronavirus preparedness group wey Nigeria Centre for Disease Control dey lead don activate im emergency operation centre and e go dey work closely wit di Lagos state goment to respond to di case and implement firm control measure.
No panic
Di minister advise Nigerians make dem no panic but take dia health mata serious.
E say some pipo if dem catch di disease dem go just get mild sickness and recover early. But those wey don old plus pipo wey dey sock before if dem catch am,e dey de severe.
E say make all Nigerians pay attention to dia hand and respiratory hygiene.
Na four diagnostic testing facilities for di Coronavirus dey ready for Nigeria – One for National Reference Laboratory inside Abuja, anoda for Lagos University Teaching Hospital inside Lagos, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH) inside Edo State and Redeemer University inside Osun State.
How dis Virus dey spread
- According to di World health Organization, dis new coronavirus na respiratory virus wey dey spread mainly through contact with infected pesin through discharge wey come out from di pesin. For example, coughs or sneezes, or through droplet of saliva or discharge from di nose.
- Coronaviruses na zoonotic, meaning say na from animals na im humans dey contact di virus.
- Pipo wey dey live or travel go area wia di CODVID-19 virus start (Hubei, China) fit dey for risk of infection. Those wey dey infected from oda kontries dey among pipo wey recently travel from China or wey don dey live or work closely wit those travellers, like family members, co-workers or medical professionals wey dey care for patient before dem know say di patient dey infected with di virus.
Who dey for more risk?
- Older pipo plus those wey bin get medical conditions before (like diabetes and heart disease) dey for more risk to dey seriously sick with di virus, according to WHO.
- Health workers wey dey care for pesin wey dey sick with COVID-19 disease dey for higher risk and must protect demsef with di correct infection prevention and control procedures.
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESWetin we know about Coronavirus
As at today more than 80,000 pipo for nearly 50 kontries don catch di disease and nearly 2, 800 pipo don die since dey disease comot for China.
Di virus, wey dem also know as 2019-nCoV, na new strain of coronavirus wey dem neva see for humans before.
Coronaviruses na broad family of viruses, but na only six (di new one go make am seven) na im expert know say don infect pipo.
World Health Organization bin don advise say make pipo avoid “unprotected” contact with live animals, and make dem cook meat and eggs well-well, plus avoid close contact with anyone wit cold or flu-like symptoms as way to protect demsef against COVID19.
Both scientist for Nigeria and all ova di world don dey work togeda to find out di source of di virus and e be say dem neva still know di source.