The governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu wants medical workers and residents to consider malaria-like symptoms as COVID-19 until test proves otherwise.
He gave the advice while addressing a news conference at the Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja.
Emphasising that the second wave of the COVID-19 virus infection which spreads faster has proven to be more dangerous than the first wave, Governor Sanwo-Olu urged health workers and residents to maintain a high level of suspicion especially while treating malaria-like symptoms.
“Any malaria-like symptoms should be considered as COVID-19 virus infection unless and until otherwise proven. Any affected individual with COVID-like symptoms should proceed to any of our public health facilities and/or laboratories to get tested for free. The responsibility of fighting and defeating this Virus belongs to each and every one of us, and we must take this responsibility very seriously” He said
The governor described the decision to reopen schools amidst the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic as a tough but necessary choice as findings show that over twenty-four thousand pupils are yet to return to School after the first wave of the COVID -19 pandemic, hence the recent decision to open schools after due consultations with key stakeholders.
While schools management have been mandated to adhere to all COVID-19 protocols, the governor promised that officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Education and Office of Education Quality Assurance would intensify monitoring to ensure full compliance and warned that the State Taskforce and Safety Commission would also continue with individual and corporate enforcement.
The governor said: “I want to enjoin parents to ensure that the protocols of safety are adhered to in their homes and that they model responsible behaviour to their children at all times, in and out of the home. The Lagos State Government will deploy effective messaging and education while rigorously enforcing all guidelines through the respective State agencies. We will continue to clamp down on all persons and organisations who flout the protocols and guidelines we have established and we will not hesitate to bring defaulters to book”
Governor Sanwo-Olu renewed the appeal on Lagosians to mask up, observe social distancing and not to discriminate against those who are infected, and reassured them that pending the availability of vaccine, a robust testing, oxygen and home-based-care strategy have been put in place, even as more isolation centres are been reopened as a significant increase in bed occupancy from four per cent last year to seventy percent, this year is currently been witnessed.
He said so far, about five thousand COVID-19 cases have been managed under the home care strategy by @EkoTeleMed and advised anyone who has tested positive to access the service through the toll-free line: 08000EKOMED that is 08000356633.
“The telemedicine service is manned by professional medical personnel to help nurse infected individuals back to health. They also have the ability to assess the severity of patients’ conditions and facilitate the evacuation of worsening cases, if need be. The virus is not a death sentence, in most cases. Seeking help early and quickly significantly improves the chances of survival for severe to critical cases” He said.
Omolara Omosanya
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