EBOLA VIRUS UPDATE: LAGOS STATE TAKES SWIFT ACTION

Lagos State Shuts Down The Hospital Where Ebola Victim Died+ Nigerian Ambassador, 3 ECOWAS Staff, 55 Others Had Contact With The Late Victim

The Lagos State government has shut down and quarantined First Consultants Hospital in Obalende where a Liberian, Mr Patrick Sawyer died of the dreaded Ebola Viral disease last week in Lagos. The Lagos State Health Commissioner, Jide Idris said:

 

“We have shut the hospital to enable us to properly quarantine the environment. Some of the hospital staff who were in close contact with the victim have been isolated. The hospital will be shut for a week and all staff monitored to ensure the virus has not spread.”

 

Mr Idris also said the Nigerian Ambassador to Liberia, Chigozie Obi Nnadozie, three staff of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, and 55 others who had contact with the victim are closely been monitored.

Dr Jide Idris, said that out of the 59 people who had contact with the late Patrick Sawyer,44 were hospital contacts (38 healthcare workers & 6 laboratory staff) and 15 Airport contacts comprising 3 ECOWAS staff-driver, Liaison, and Protocol officers, Nigerian Ambassador to Monrovia, two nursing staff and five Airport passenger handlers.

 He also explained that out of the number, 20 contacts had been physically screened of which 50% are of the type I contact and another 50% had type II contact, adding that the airline manifest has not been provided yet. Hear him:

“The Airline manifest has not been provided by the airline at the time of this report and therefore, the precise number of passenger contacts is yet to be ascertained, especially as two flights were involved (Monrovia-Lome and Lome-Lagos). There was no report of a medical incident filed.”

Dr Idris stated categorically that only one case of imported Ebola and one death has been recorded in Lagos. He went further to state:

“No Nigerian is infected, but all contacts are being actively followed.  We call on all Nigerians to be calm and not panic and I do hereby assure them that both the state and Federal governments are up in arms to ensure that the virus did not escape and that no Nigeria is infected with this virus.”

He added that the corpse of the victim has since been cremated, and the ash is awaiting further directives from the Liberian Embassy.

“Adhering strictly to WHO guidelines, the body of the deceased patient was decontaminated using 10% sodium hypochlorite and cremated, with the permission of the government of Liberia. A cremation run has been prepared for dispatch to the family. The vehicle that conveyed the remains was also fully decontaminated”.