Dr. James Oizamesi Adanini, a medical doctor in Public Health who has worked with the European Union Support to Immunization Governance in Nigeria (EU-SIGN), has produced a sensitization podcast on the novel Corona virus (Covid 19) in Etuno (Igarra) language meant to halt the spread of the virus and for benefit of Etuno speaking people to better handle the pandemic.
The 8.44-minute awareness audio going viral on various Igarra Whatsapp platforms speaks to the various aspects of the new Corona virus ranging from its origin, mode of spread, symptoms, preventive measure, and treatment, among others.
In the educational audio, Dr. Adanini made it clear that although it originated from China, it has spread and infected people in Nigeria but advised that people should not panic.
He said it is infectious and transmitted from person to person and has no known cure yet adding that it can be spread through people coming in contact with the droplets from the sneezing, cough, or catarrh from infected persons.
Listing the symptoms, he said the virus manifest in running nose, high body temperature, cough, sneezing, and difficulty in breathing and advised that people who manifest these symptoms should not go into hiding but taken to the hospital so that such person can be given necessary treatment.
Dr. Adanini also disclosed that there is no known cure for the virus but that treatment is given according to the symptom manifested by an infected person.
On prevention, he advised good hygiene including constant washing of hands with running water and soap while going out and when one returns home; the use of face mask and tissues paper; coughing into the face masks and tissue papers after which they are disposed after use, immediate hand wash and the use of hand sanitisers.
He added that if an infected person has a prior sickness it may lead to death hence the need to sensitise people about it so that necessary precautions can be taken.
He cautioned against sneezing, coughing and spiting on other people’s body or surfaces that people constantly touch as well as picking noses with fingers, inserting fingers into the ears, nose, mouth or eyes adding that when people do that, they risk contracting the virus if they touch any object where the virus has been deposited.
He counseled against spreading falsehood about the virus; being in gatherings where there are more than 20 persons, but encouraged social distancing. Meetings that are not absolutely necessary, he said, should be discouraged, handshakes should also be discouraged and people who travel from overseas, especially countries with high Covid 19 incidents should go into self isolation.
He pleaded for cooperation to cub and defeat the pandemic.
Dr. Adanini works as the South South, Vaccine and Logistic Security Consultant, UNICEF. He was an Assistant Primary Health Care coordinator in Afuze, Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State .
To listen to the audio, please click Covid19_Enlightenment_in_Etuno.