Covid-19: Learn from index case, Ogun urges Nigerians

By Adekunle YusufThe Ogun State Government has called on Nigerians to take a cue from the management of the index case of coronavirus who was placed under isolation for three weeks and recently discharged to reunite with the society.Nigerias first case of COVID-19, a 44-year-old Italian who was suspected in Ogun during a brief business visit, was transferred to the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) in Lagos where he tested positive to the disease. He has since been discharged after tests showed that his body has cleared the virus.In a statement, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, who congratulated the Italian on completion of his treatment, expressed the delight of the government that he had reunited with his family and friends after being cleared of the COVID-19 disease.According to her, there are valuable lessons from the management of COVID-19, stressing that private healthcare providers have a big role play in the fight to defeat the disease because they are the first port of contact for 60 per cent of the populace.Read Also:COVID-19: Buhari, Osinbajo lead adherence to self-IsolationThe commissioner added that early diagnosis and prompt intervention by health personnel trained in the management of COVID-19 disease should not be taken for granted, pointing out that strict self-isolation and social distancing are effective in curtailing the spread of the disease as shown by the 40 contacts of the index case who were quarantined within designated facilities for 14 days until they were deemed fit to resume normal life.She underscored the need for collaborative efforts of a multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral team comprising the Federal Government, Ogun and Lagos state governments as well as local and international partners.Coker said the private sector should not be left out in the fight to curtail coronavirus, stating that the success story of the index case was predicated on these factors.Early diagnosis and prompt intervention by health personnel trained in the management of COVID-19 disease should not be taken for granted. Strict self-isolation and social distancing is effective in curtailing the spread of the disease as shown by the 40 contacts of the index case who were quarantined within designated facilities for 14 days, until they were deemed fit to resume normal life.The private sector, where latent resources, ranging from infrastructure to financial were tapped into to mount an appropriate response to COVID-19 disease, should not be left out, she said.
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