Top health official calls for calm as he says no coronavirus is registered in Africa

By Yusupha Jobe

Ministry of health’s national epidemiology and disease control program coordinator has called for calm in the country after saying no coronavirus infection is yet to be registered in Africa.

Speaking to The Voice in an exclusive interview Sanna Malang Sambou said: “people should be very careful of what kind of information sent out to others more especially in the social media as others are posting of positive case of corona virus in Africa which is not real. It even shocks me when I heard of the reported number of deaths in the social media which people claimed is caused by the virus which in fact is not true.”

According to him, the ministry of health has together with other stakeholders recently established a national steering committee that will monitor the current situation of the corona virus as the country’s borders he said are right now equipped with devices that will enable the screening for any possible corona virus.

“We have just set up a national steering committee that will be responsible for monitoring the development of the corona virus at our borders and this has included various development parts in the country.”

“So, the current national preparedness for the virus is at an advance level because we cannot afford to take risk of such situation,” he said.

He however advised the public to follow standard precautionary measures by washing hands with soaps and avoid touching their eyes and mouth with unwashed hands.

He also warned against direct contact with people suffering cough as he advised for visiting hospitals and health clinics for checkups.

“The only thing people should do to avoid risking the possible infection of the corona virus is to follow the prescribe measures of washing their hands with soaps, cover their cough and sneeze with a tissue , use Alcoholic hand sanitizers and avoid touching their hands, mouths and nose with unwashed hands, he said.