By Uche Mbah
A new lung disease, termed the Corona Virus, which has been ravaging China for months now, is said to be spreading rapidly beyond the epicenter fueling fears of it’s possible importation into Nigeria by the massive movement across border between the two countries.
A similar case happened during the Ebola epidermic, when a Liberian-American, Patrick Sawyer, who had the disease entered Nigeria en route to a conference in Calabar. He later died in First Consultant Hospital, a private hospital but not without infecting many Nigerians, mostly staff of the Hospital, including Doctor Ameyo Adedevoh, who was in charge of his case. Some of the infected patients died, including Adedevoh.
China is a major financial tourist destination of many Nigerian businessmen. Besides, there has been an upsurge in migration of Chinese Nationals into Nigeria, which may be at its peak after the current exodus of Chinese Nationals to go home and celebrate the Chinese new year.
As confirmed cases seem to have tripled on Monday and disease spreading to Korea, it is tasking the Chinese health authorities who, themselves, are being infected, to their wits’ end due to Chinese nationals traveling back home for their annual Chinese new year celebration. More than 14 health workers are reportedly infected in Beijing and Guangdong.
The epidermic is considered serious enough for the World Health Organization to convene an emergency meeting of the organization’s expert panel to determine whether it should be declared a global emergency. This will determine measures to be taken by the organization to safeguard the global community.
According to WHO, the disease was likely spread through “some limited human-to-human transmission occurring between close contacts.”
Corona virus is said to be of the same strain as the one that created the SARS epidermic last decade, which claimed over 800 lives after infecting about 10,000 globally. Currently, over 200 have been reported to have been infected, four dead and eight in critical conditions, according to Chinese authorities. It has been known to infect mammals in general, but this is the first time it is attacking humans-and the first time human to human contacts are being reported.
