US to Test President Jonathan’s Aides for Ebola Before Meeting
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President Goodluck Jonathan along with his aides are among the African expected to attend the event.
According to a Reuters, Obama said the action is to protect the US from the outbreak of the disease.
President Obama said, “Folks who are from these countries that have even a marginal risk, or an infinitesimal risk of having been exposed in some fashion, we’re making sure we’re doing screening.”
The United States, Obama said, takes risks from the deadly Ebola virus very seriously hence the planned test for the expected African leaders and their aides.
Also, two African leaders have said they would not attend the meeting because of the outbreak of the Ebola disease in their countries. The leaders are Presidents of Liberia and Sierra Leone, Mrs Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Ernest BaiKoroma, respectively.
Meanwhile, professional health bodies and medical experts have condemned Nigeria’s response to the global outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease. They strongly condemned what they described as poor preventive measures put in place by the Federal Government.
Nigeria has recorded the death of an Ebola victim, Patrick Sawyer, who flew into the country on July 20.
The deceased collapsed on his arrival in Lagos and was rushed to hospital where he was diagnosed with EVD. He later died on July 25.
Ebola, which has killed scores in Guinea, Gambia and Sierra Leone and Liberia, is an acute viral illness and often characterised by fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat.
These are followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding.
A virologist and President, Nigerian Academy of Science, Prof. Oyewole Tomori, in an interview with Punch on Saturday, decried that the porous nature of Nigerian hospitals would allow the disease to spread easily between patients and health workers.
He said, “In an ideal situation, there is no need to close the border. As a matter of fact, there are too many entry points into the country. How many of these can be closed? But beyond closing the borders is the actual state of preparedness. The truth of the matter is we’re not prepared.
“Also, the government needs to collaborate with private medical laboratory facilities. Testing for the Ebola Virus Disease isn’t something that can be done in a moment. It takes time. The Federal Ministry of Health should now be asking laboratory facilities what they have and what they need, as part of preparedness, in case there’s an overwhelming need for blood samples to be tested for the virus.
“The bottom line of my response is that the country is not prepared for an outbreak of the Ebola virus.”
Prof. Tomori lamented that the case of late Sawyer caught Nigeria unawares. He said, “We are not prepared to handle any outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease. There’s no sign of any state of preparedness. What happened in the case of the dead Liberian man with Ebola virus visiting Nigeria was circumstantial. It was not that we prepared for it as a nation.
“If the man had not been sick at the point he arrived in Nigeria, he could have travelled to Calabar for his conference. At that point it would likely be difficult to know there was a case of Ebola in the country. He could have died in Calabar without any trace.
“Interestingly too, what happened at the airport seemed to be a blessing in disguise. Just imagine what could have happened, had the Nigerian Medical Association not been on strike. The situation could have been worse by now. If medical doctors were not on strike, with the Liberian arriving sick at the Nigerian airport, he would likely have been taken to one of the government hospitals.
“In government hospitals, there are many people around; you have many outpatients and visitors who could have come in close contact with the man (Sawyer); that could have been a disaster.”
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