The permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Oguntimehin Olukayode, has said that Nigerians are panicking a lot over the deadly virus, emphasising that “people who contract Ebola do not walk or work healthy with the virus”.
Speaking on Channels Television program, Sunrise Daily, on Thursday, he said that the response from the public on the awareness of the deadly Ebola virus was tremendously impressive, but expressed worries over the rate Nigerians panic over the deadly virus.
“What is worrisome to me, is that we are panicking. People come in to ask all sort of questions like; do you stop people from going into mass transit bus? Do you ban Okada (commercial Motorcycle)? Do you need to stop football matches? Yes we know it is a disease that is brought in by body contact, but what is more important is this; the person who is going to transmit it to you, must be sick. If you are not sick you will not transmit it”, he pointed out.
Dr. Olukayode dismissed claims that people could get the virus through close contact with people, pointing out that anyone that is hale and healthy cannot transmit the Ebola virus. “It is only transmitted when the person that has contracted it is sick,” he stressed.
“No Asymptomatic Carrier”
He emphasised the need for people to be educated on the Ebola Virus and explained the symptom of the virus.
“When contracted, the first day it is followed with a high fever and during the second and third day, where the transition really starts, the person must probably be moribund”, he said.
Dr Olukayode said that the symptoms could not be hidden and thereby assured all Nigerians that they should not Panic over the Ebola Virus.
“There is no asymptomatic carrier of the Ebola virus,” if you are ill you are ill and if you are not ill, you are not ill”, he emphasised.
He therefore appealed to health practitioners to treat and attend to patients without the assumption of having the virus.
Its been 22 days since the deadly virus entered Nigeria through a late Liberian-America, Patrick Sawyer. So far, two deaths have been recorded, including Mr Sawyer, while over 100 persons are under surveillance.
A total of 10 persons, who had contact with the index person, Sawyer, have been diagnosed of the disease and had been isolated in an Isolation centre in lagos State, the only state where the cases have been reported.
