Coronavirus: FAAN Releases Travel Advisory, Affirms Preparedness

By Uche Mbah

The Federal Airports Authority has released a travel advisory to Air travelers in the wake of the new epidermic of coronavirus that has killed people and left hundreds hospitalized in five countries of the world. But beyond temperature gauge-the major preliminary means used for the detection of Ebola-they appear not to have other measures put in place for corona virus. Though fever is one of the symptoms, it may not show this symptom at the initial stage, according to experts.

In a statement signed by Henrietta Yakubu, their spokesperson and made available to The Source, the Authority said they are collaborating with the Ministry of health to combat the menace.

“In an effort to protect passengers from the epidemic ravaging some countries and to prevent the spread of such communicable diseases into Nigeria, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria hereby advises passengers and other airport users to comply with all quarantine procedures at the nation’s airports”, Yakubu said.

“All the equipment and personnel used in combating the deadly ebola virus in 2014 are still very much in place at the airports.

“FAAN has always had thermal scanners in her airports that monitor temperature of passengers and capture their pictures. When passengers walk pass the scanner, it registers their temperature and If too high, they are pulled aside for observation.

“Recently, a deadly virus known as CORONAVIRUS broke out in China and has since killed six people, with over 300 also reported to have been infected. The virus is highly communicable and has already spread to boarder countries like Japan, Thailand and South Korea.

“The Authority, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, have confirmed the adequacy of the facilities at the nation’s airports to prevent the importation of the virus through the airports.

“Passengers are therefore advised to submit themselves for routine quarantine checks
whenever they are asked to”, she concluded.

During the Ebola epidermic, government hospitals were on strike which was why the Liberian-American, Patrick sawyer, ended up in a private hospital. Analysts believe that if they were taken to public hospitals, the case of Nigeria would have degenerated like that of DR Congo.