My profound greetings to you all, my great family, especially here in Nigeria, our beloved Nation and those in the United Kingdom.
I would like to especially acknowledge and appreciate our amiable president, Mrs. Tarela in the UK, and other members of the advisory board who have made this presentation a reality.
l will be talking to us about the novel virus that is ravaging the planet Earth, known as CORONA VIRUS.
Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illnesses such as the common cold, SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), and Middle East respiratory syndrome. There was an outbreak of the virus in the last quarter of 2019 at Wuhan city of China, which has since spread to over 210 nations on earth! Hence the WHO declaration as a Pandemic. In the African continent, as of today April 22, 2020, only two nations have yet to report an index case. The nation of Lesotho and one other small island in the continent, along with only 13 other very small nations across the globe, have yet to record an index case.
The coronavirus whose disease condition is known as COVID-19, has infected over 2.5 million people across the globe, with over 177 000 reported death cases! suffice to say we are at WAR! A war with an invisible enemy!
SIGN & SYMPTOMS
signs and symptoms of covid-19 may appear 2 to 14 days after exposure and can include
*cough
*fever
*shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
*chest pain.
other symptoms may include; Sore throat , runny nose, tiredness, Headache, vomiting and diarrhoea symptoms may range from very mild to severe .although most people with covid-19 have mild to moderate symptoms, the disease can cause severe medical conditions and lead to death in some people. Older Adults or people with existing chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes, Lung diseases, heart disease, oi disease plus other individuals living with disability are at greater risk of becoming seriously ill with covid-19. Data has shown that it spreads from person to person among those in close contact.
The virus spreads by respiratory droplets released when someone coughs, talks or sneezes.it can also spread if a person touches a surface with the virus on it, and then touches his or her mouth, nose, or eyes. Nigeria, with an estimated population of over 200 million people, has so far tested less than 10,000 suspected COVID-19 cases.
With a total number of 782 confirmed cases, out of which 197 patients were discharged, active cases 560, recorded death cases stood at 25 as at 3 :25pm on April 22, 2020.
Lagos State, being the nation’s epicentre of the virus has as a confirmed case of 430 patients, followed by FCT with 118 confirmed cases and Kano state being the state with the third number of reported cases has a confirmed case of 73
However, Dr Shuaibu, who is the deputy coordinator of Kano state Task force announced a whooping figure of 640 mysterious death cases which were recorded within the last one week! from the Kano metropolis alone. it is yet to be ascertained that covid-19 virus was responsible for this ugly trend. Covid-19 Complications can include.
*Pneumonia in both lungs.
*Organ failure in several organs.
People living with disabilities with covid-19 could experience extreme tiredness, increased risk of respiratory distress, that is difficulty breathing, weight loss and multiple organ failure, notably the lungs, kidneys and the heart. There is no known excellent curative therapy nor vaccine certified for treatment of covid-19 virus. However, there are about 7 promising vaccines types undergoing clinical and experimental trials.
Treatment are tailored at specific, individual varied symptoms ,aimed at managing the symptomatic phase while the host (body) natural defensive mechanisms like the macrophage guarding the lungs, lymphocytes in response to viral invasions inhibit and wall off the replication of the viral particles.
I’ll will like to admonish us all to observe the social distancing protocol, wash your hands regularly with soap & running water. Hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol, wear a face mask while outside your home. Stay safe & Pray to God for His mercy upon the land as we combat this dreadful virus.
I would like to have comment and questions as regards the covid-19 pandemic
Q&A
Q. Should one visit health centre’s now or keep off until after the lockdown considering community transmission ongoing now?
A. pls keep off if you are not manifesting any associated symptoms of covid-19
Q. Doc its alarming at rate cases spring up in Lagos what measures should one take as preventive measures?
A. Observe the social distancing protocol, frequent hand wash, wear face mask outside your home as earlier enumerated.
Q. Does this means we need to boost our adorable immunity more and more.
A. It is especially important to keep boosting your immune system as that the first rule.
Last words from DR:
when an infected person talks, cough or sneezes, droplet are released which could easily be expelled via the mouth, nose, to the community or an un suspected individuals so let’s all stay safe, observing social distancing protocol in order to flatten the curve.
By Dr Wole Dosumu.