Covid-19 In Ekiti State Nigeria: Why Should We Worry?
- July 3, 2020
- Posted by: RSIS
- Categories: Health Sciences, IJRSI
International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI) | Volume VII, Issue VI, June 2020 | ISSN 2321–2705
Covid-19 In Ekiti State Nigeria: Why Should We Worry?
Victor SHEGUN Oluwatuyi1,2,*, Racheal Adedoja Okunade3, Mayowa Funmilayo Oluwatuyi4, Alaba Tolulope Agbele5, Oluwakemi Ifedayo Sam-Ijadele6, Mojisola Bello6
1Department of Environmental Health Science, Kwara State University, Malete, Ilorin, Nigeria
2Department of Public Health, Ekiti State College of Health Sciences and Technology, Ijero-Ekiti, Nigeria
3Department of Dental Health, Ekiti State College of Health Sciences and technology, Ijero-Ekiti, Nigeria
4Department of Health Information Management, Ekiti State College of Health Sciences and Technology, Ijero-Ekiti, Nigeria
5Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Ekiti State College of Health Sciences and Technology, Ijero-Ekiti, Nigeria
6Department of Environmental Health, Ekiti State College of Health Sciences and Technology, Ijero-Ekiti, Nigeria
*Corresponding author
Abstract: Ekiti State recorded her first case of COVID-19) precisely March 15th 2020 shortly after Nigeria recorded her first case imported by an Italian businessman whose identity was not disclosed on the 27th February 2020. The disease has since then continued to spread despite the lockdown measures. The spread and occurrence ofCOVID-19 in Nigeria is not surprising considering its rate of spread globally. The disease broke out in China and on the 30th January, 2020 it was declared to be transmissible through human to human contact while there is knowledge of the fact that the virus spread through asymptomatic patients making it hard to track the infection. Ekiti State which happened to be the first to react out of all the 36 states in Nigeria responded swiftly by setting up COVID-19Task Force in order to be able to fight the possible occurrence of the disease even before the State recorded her first case of COVID-19.However, it became worrisome that easing of lockdown measures without stiffer actions to regulate compliance might expose the State to a surge in numbers. This review reveals how well the State has been able to respond to the spread of this novel virus and the challenges.
Key words: Ekiti State, COVID-19, Rapid Spread, Lockdown, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARs)
I.INTRODUCTION
Corona-virus disease originated from Wuhan-China, while many speculated that the disease spread through a wet market in China while there are claims that it was from a laboratory in Wuhan-China ,there are however no evidence to this claim as China refuted the claim many times. China however was able to control the infection and minimize death through rigorous lockdown measures and disinfection of public places. China recorded few cases of child infection according to some studies(1,2,3,4,5,7)as they recorded nine children out of thousands of infection recorded[8,9,10].The symptoms shown at early stage made it easy to identify suspected cases while danger looms as asymptomatic individuals can continue to spread the virus unnoticed which made it difficult to control[12,14].
