By Bello Hamza
Professor Maryam Aminu, head of Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria has call on the stakeholders in educational sector to be cautions as secondary schools are re-opening for normal academic activities with the fact that COVID-19 is real.
Prof Aminu made this known while delivering a lecture under the Fulbright Alumi Association of Nigeria lecture series under community transmission of COVD-19.
She said world wide had approximately sixteen million cases of COVID-19 and approximately six hundred and forty thousand people died of the virus. So COVID-19 is a serious matter in Nigeria even with the low level of testing.
“Covid-19 is a viral disease that is caused by SAR protone. It affect the lungs and spread through droplets which are released through the air, and deposited on surfaces by infected person.
“When we say infected persons, we mean those that are in symptomatic and those that are showing signs and those that are not showing. The virus infect the lungs and spread through droplets in the air and it is deposited on surfaces by infected persons. This virus is released by coughing, sneezing, loud talking, yelling and singing.”
According to her, there is no vaccine, there are no effective drugs. However, available. The remdicivile is one anti viral agent that target the virus and then we have the dexamagacine which is a coticosteriod.
“There are some important things that must be done for human safety before reopening schools
.The antiviral safety face mask, the M95 and the surgical mask. These are the only ones that are protective against the virus. All these clothes mask that are been produced are not protective at all against the virus.
“We suppose to maintain physical and social distancing. Regular hand washing with running water, hand sanitizing,the sanitizer must contain seventy percent alchohol.
Professor Maryam asked 3 important questions: The safety of the children in schools, will they be given face masks?, The safety of the teachers – how save are the teachers, Is the government ready to provide face masks to the children, teachers and hand sanitizers to all the schools to avoid them from contacting the virus?
“These are the important questions one must ask before allowing he or her child to resume school she added.
