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This may not be the best of times for the commercial hub of Nigeria, Lagos over the just discovered case of the deadly coronavirus in the state.
The Commissioner of Health in the state, Prof. Akin Abayomi early Friday (today) confirmed what has somewhat become a controversy.
Abayomi said the virus came into Nigeria through an Italian businessman. The Italian arrived Nigeria on the 25th of February from Milan, Italy for a brief business visit.
“He fell ill on the 26th February and was transferred to Lagos State Biosecurity Facilities for isolation and testing. COVID-19 infection was confirmed by the Virology Laboratory of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, part of the Laboratory Network of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. The patient is clinically stable, with no serious symptoms, and is being managed at the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba, Lagos,” Abayomi said.
While also confirming the development, the Federal Government through the Ministry of Health said it will provide all the needed support to combat the deadly infection in Lagos State.
However, in a bid to forestall wide spread and detect the ravaging virus at its early stage; corporate organisations, religious worship centres and other places of mass gathering are making huge demands for sanitizers, face masks and digital handheld thermometer devices.
The upsurge in demands for the products which according to pharmaceutical stores started (on Monday) since the virus became a prominent issue of discuss in the state has led to many running out of stock.
A tour of major pharmaceutical stores in different parts of the state by TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) crew confirmed the gradual depletion of the products in stock. While it has not been scientifically proven that wearing face masks can prevent spread of the virus from an infected person, however it is common sight to see people wearing it in China where the virus originated from. Hence, the immediate adoption of the face mask as a preventive tool.
”We are out of stock please. You can check back on Monday,” was the response of a mask wearing pharmacist at one off the popular pharmaceutical stores on Saka Tinubu, Victoria Island, when this reporter asked for face mask and the hand held digital thermometer device. However, the pharmacist said hand sanitizers were still in stock if I so desired to purchase.
Asked why demand was high, the young pharmacist said: ‘Are you asking me why? Have you heard of a confirmed case of coronavirus in the state? That is obviously responsible for the demand and it’s being like that since Monday. However, the demand went astronomical today because both the state and federal governments confirmed the first case early this morning. Corporate organizations and even individuals are demanding for bulk purchases, hence the reason for the depletion in stock of the product,” he said.
This reporter also observed that it is now common sights for banks, public and private offices and other business places to screen people before entry. People who refused screening were courteously turned back.
A private female guard in one of the new generation banks said management had instructed that customers must be screened and have their hands sanitized before entry can be allowed.
“Nobody will be allowed entry without screening around the bank. It’s the safest thing to do at this time and management frowns at its disobedience. Customers who refuse it will be turned back,” she said.
Meanwhile, a pharmacist who spoke on condition of of anonymity said pharmaceutical stores were intentionally hoarding the products in anticipation for increased demand so as to inflate the prices.
“Don’t let them deceive you, a state like Lagos can never run short of any product irrespective of the demands. People are only hoarding to make more money. The scarcity of the product if there is anything like that in the first place is intentional,” he said.
Efforts by TNG to speak with the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) was unsuccessful at press time.