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Port Health Services Guards Against New COVID Variant Entry With Proactive Measures
He urged Nigerians not to panic, noting that the new variant was still at the observatory level.
Dr. Omede Ogu, the Officer-in-Charge of Port Health Services (PHS) at the airport, said that they have taken proactive measures at Nigeria’s primary entry point, Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, to prevent the new COVID-19 variant from entering the country.
During an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Dr. Omede Ogu conveyed that comprehensive information regarding the new COVID-19 variant has been promptly disseminated through the Port Health Services Emergency Platform.
He affirmed that pertinent authorities and agencies operating at the airport have been duly notified and apprised of this situation.
“The ambulances are in good condition and our clinics round the tarmac are in the perfect shape to review any form of emergency, and facilities are inspected daily.
Personnel are trained on a weekly basis and this training is called Weekly Pretentious Infection Training. The purpose of this training is to keep our personnel abreast of steps to take when confronted with emergencies like this.
Our personnel are on ground and our structures are constantly reviewed, so we assure everyone that there is absolutely nothing to be worried about,” he said
Ogu said that the Port Health Service collaborates with Emergency Operation Centres (EOCs) across the country involving stakeholders who deliberate on different strategies and containment mechanisms for emergencies. He said that there were cameras at the tarmac that capture the body temperature of passengers when they alight from the plane.
“For every passenger arriving at the airport, the first point of call is the port health services, and they are screened to check for irregularities in body temperature. The instruments are categorised into three: the hand-held thermometer, a tripod tarmac scanner and the distant tarmac camera” he said
According to him, the distant tarmac camera is the most effective because it captures everyone and all the health information, and port health officials see the result on the screen.
“We intend to get more cameras in the nearest future for more effective coverage and optimal reporting,” he said.
He urged Nigerians not to panic, noting that the new variant was still at the observatory level.
The United Kingdom detected its first case of the new COVID-19 variant, BA.2.86, on Aug. 18, and said the strain had also been identified in Israel, Denmark and the US.
“There is currently one confirmed case in the UK in an individual with no recent travel history, which suggests a degree of community transmission within the UK,” the UK Health Security Agency had said.
Both Nigeria and the UK experience a significant influx of travelers who frequently commute between the two countries.