By Wally Bah
As the country’s health authorities and their partners intensified efforts to preventing the escalating Coronavirus from approaching The Gambia, or containing it in the event of any outbreak, the Director of Health Promotion and Education at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Mr. Modou Njai, has said that, “It is very important to verify certain information before posting it on the social media, in order to avoid confusion.”
The health Promotion Director, who was speaking at a recent press briefing organized by the Ministry of Health and its international partners in the country, had also dispelled rumours that were being peddled on social media about a Gambian who came from Italy and was alleged to have contracted the coronavirus.
Njai brushed aside the news report on the social media as “completely false”, while urging people to disregard the said misinformation.
The briefing held at the National Public Health Laboratory in Kotu, was meant to update the media and by extension, Gambian populace on the issue.
Njai said the results had shown that the suspected man had no symptoms related to the coronavirus. He reassured that the Ministry of Health is in high gears when it comes to preparedness, in the event of any eventuality which might occur.
Mr. Sanna Sambou, Coordinator of the Epidemiology Disease Control Unit at the Ministry of Health gave an update on the status of COVID-19. He reported-at the time that-about 87,137 cases had been confirmed, globally. That 92 percent of total deaths occurred in mainland China.
Sambou stated that Nigeria, Algeria and Senegal have also recorded cases of the virus, in Africa. He disclosed that in the Gambia, 55 people were listed for follow-up; and that 16 people had {as at the time of the briefing} been completed for screening, while 39 were still under follow-up.
The Health official further reported that they had eleven [11] health personnel attached at the Airport, so as to screen people coming into the country. Other personnel were trained to be responsible for screening people at the close borders, with the support of IOM staff and Immigration officers. He reminded that the virus could be spread from person to person through hands shaking, touching the same key boards with the infected person, and sneezing in open spaces.
According to the Coordinator of the Epidemiology Disease Control Unit, one should be constantly washing his or her hands for safety precautions.
{The Coronavirus Disease or COVID-19 is characterized by mild symptoms including sore throat, cough, and fever. And as health experts indicated, illness could be more severe for some people, and can lead to pneumonia or breathing difficulties. Infrequently, the disease, it had been gathered, could be fatal, and that older people, and people with other medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease, might be more vulnerable to becoming severely ill.}
Meanwhile, Sambou has advised that if one sees such symptoms, “please report to the nearest health center for screening and check-ups”.
