A new case of Coronavirus infection in Kaduna State is setting hairs on edge because he is not known to have associated with any of the earlier five cases there.
In fact, according to a statement by the government, the patient travelled by road from Lagos and it is finding it difficult to trace those who travelled with the patient and others he might have associated with after his arrival to the State.
The Kaduna State Government confirmed the new case of coronavirus which has brought the number of infected persons to six as at Friday.
A statement issued by Dr Amina Mohammed Baloni, the Commissioner for Health on Saturday, said that the latest case ‘’ is a male who worked as a gateman in the Mando area and recently returned from Lagos. ‘’
According to Dr Baloni, the sixth case had ‘’traveled to Kaduna on public transport and made contact with the authorities as his symptoms worsened. The patient has been evacuated to the state’s Infectious Disease Centre.‘’
The commissioner warned that the latest case presents the nightmare scenario of possible community transmission of Covid-19 in the state as ‘’it is vey difficult and complicated to trace the contacts of a patient who came from Lagos via public transport and has had some instance of local commuting since his arrival. ‘’
‘’The Rapid Response Team is trying its utmost to elicit from him a list of his contacts, so that they can be traced and monitored. He does not know who his fellow passengers from Lagos are. But the team is working to develop an idea of his local contacts in Kaduna, including any vehicles he commuted in and people he met at the hospital he visited and within his neighbourhood,’’ she said
Dr Baloni argued that ‘’it was in order to prevent and avert a scenario like this that the government has consistently appealed to the public to practice social distancing and directed commercial buses to carry no more than two passengers per row.’’
‘’The instances that have now being recorded of people spreading Covid-19 from one state to another further reinforces the need to stop all inter-state travel. People need to stay in one place and help reduce the footprint of Covid-19,’’ she further argued.
The statement maintained that government also outrightly banned motorcycle taxis and Keke Napeps because they do not satisfy the conditions for social distancing.
The commissioner also reiterated government’s advice against large gatherings and congregational prayers, adding that ‘’now that there is a case of possible community transmission of Covid-19, residents must begin to take more seriously the quarantine conditions.‘’
The statement warned that ‘’it is important to stay at home, go out only when absolutely necessary and practice personal hygiene, especially washing hands with soap and water regularly. Residents should also observe respiratory hygiene.’’
According to Baloni, these are dangerous times, but we can work together to stop this disease from spreading. It is cheaper and better to prevent Covid-19 than to catch it.