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Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Idowu Olayinka, has said necessary precautions are being taken to curtail the spread of COVID-19 otherwise called coronavirus around the university community.
Speaking with journalists, he said the university’s authorities were making efforts towards dousing panic on the possibility of an outbreak of the virus.
His words: “We are not leaving anything to chance in the university. We are optimistic that nothing bad will happen here and so, we shall take necessary precautions. People have to use hand sanitisers and wash their hands at every given opportunity. People should also avoid hugging now or shacking hands.
“People in Jaja (UI Clinic) are experts and I think they are aware of public health issues. They will take necessary precautions because we have a very large population of staff and students and other members of the community who are neither staff nor students. I think we are on top of the situation.”
On sensitisation, Olayinka said the university has to mount awareness campaign on Diamond FM, the UI community radio, saying, “The students should not be scared. If anyone has symptoms such as (high) temperature and vomiting, he should report to the nearest health facility. No cause for alarm as far as we can say, we are optimistic that all would be well.”
Coordinator, Workplace Wellness Programne, UI, Dr. Oluwasanu Olabayo, said the first step taken towards addressing the challenge of the virus in the university was to create awareness.
“The first thing is to address the panic being generated and we are trying to douse the tension so that people will not go about spreading rumours of what does not exist.
“We are aware that there are a few suspected cases in the country. We are doing what we have to do such as hand washing just like in the day of Ebola. These are the same preparations that we put in place, we create awareness on personal hygiene and we try to educate people about the symptoms and the mode of spread,” he stated.
He explained that Jaja Clinic has a transit isolation den where a suspect could be kept before referrals, adding, “We work in synergy with the Ministry of Health and other relevant health related bodies.
“We have high index of suspicions; in any case, we would immediately notify and then we can transfer. We cannot keep suspected cases for so long because of the panic such can generate.”
