Covid-19: Ebonyi Begins testing of 2000 Residents

In other to avert the spread of the Corona Virus in the state, the Ebonyi State government today began the process of testing residents with a view of knowing their status and guard against its further spread should there be any case found in the course of the testing.

Dr. Daniel Umezurike, the state’s Commissioner for Health made the disclosure today during the random collection of samples from residents of Abakaliki at the Virology Centre of the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital in Abakaliki, the state capital.

Speaking further, Dr. Umezurike explained “we are here to screen 2000 Ebonyians who may have upper tract respiratory infection,
“We want to screen over 2000 Ebonyians within two weeks, we have procured the test kits to carry out this exercise”.

While explaining the approach for the exercise, the Commissioner restarted “we selected 10 people from each political ward in the state and we have selection criteria in line with the direction of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC.

“We selected people whether they have traveled or not that have upper respiratory tract symptoms ranging from cough, fever, catarrh, and the people who have traveled from high risks areas and epicenter to Ebonyi State in the last two weeks.

Dr. Umezurike insisted ” we want to screen them laboratory wise to be sure there’s no hidden case in Ebonyi State.

Those with these symptoms are always brought to this place to be tested and Ebonyi State has tested more than 200 people,
“So far, no confirmed case in Ebonyi State, we are also testing for samples gotten from nearby states” because the Virology Centre “is a regional center for viral hemorrhagic diseases.
“When this pandemic came up, we reactivated the lab to address this COVID19”.

The Ebonyi Health Commissioner added ” Lassa fever in Ebonyi State, we have discharged all our patients and they have all returned home.
“Anyone saying there’s a Lassa fever in Ebonyi State doesn’t know what he is saying”.

Earlier, the Chief Medical Director of AEFUTHA, Dr. Onwe Ogah Emeka described the exercise as well thought out by the state government remarking “it is his desire that many are tested for the virus, it is by doing this we can say Ebonyi State is free from Corona because now, we can’t say Ebonyi State is free from Corona without doing this type of massive screening we want to do.

“Today, we want to pick up with the permission of His Excellency who gave us a matching order to test over 2000 Ebonyians.
Today we are starting with Abakaliki LGA.
“These people have been randomly selected, those from Lagos, Edo, and even people who have not traveled may have mixed with these people.

“They may not be having symptoms because of what we know about this COVID19, you may not have symptoms, but you may have the disease and in the course of this, we may see those that have it”.

From the Office of the Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity