The Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, has disclosed that the Lagos State Government has set up sampling stations in the 20 local government areas of the State.
The commissioner, who disclosed this at a press briefing on Sunday, April 19, said that the sampling stations have been set up in strategic locations where citizens that fit the case definition of #COVID19 can visit to drop samples for testing.
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He noted that this strategy was executed in order to increase access to COVID-19 for inhabitants of the state.
The commissioner added that the step is aimed at removing the burden on health workers that visit several local governments for case search & sample collection, adding that the new arrangement will enable people with symptoms to present themselves early for testing.
He said, “We have decentralized the locations where you can have yourself submitted for sampling and if you feel that you have any of the symptoms associated with COVID19, you can present yourself to this decentralized sampling stations”.
“They are not testing stations, they are sampling stations and If you meet the criteria for testing, you will be able to receive the counsel of the staff and your sample will be taken”.
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While answering on the use of facemasks for the prevention of COVID-19, Abayomi clarified that wearing facemasks does not protect people from contracting COVID-19 but rather helps to block out particles from coughs and sneezes of an infected person.
He said,
“There is some theoretical evidence that the wearing of masks may indeed reduce the amount of droplets in the environment from the person that is infected and that is the reason why we are beginning to define the strategy of face masks for the general community.”
Abayomi disclosed that the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has already commissioned tailors and seamstresses to commence the mass production of facemasks using a standard design that has been provided to them.
He added that wearing of the homemade masks is not 100% effective against the coronavirus but however, will help in reducing the amount of droplets produced and aerosolised from the coughs and sneezes of infected people.
Abayomi said that the state is discouraging the public from purchasing facemasks from pharmacies, noting that this would lead to a shortage of these facemasks for the medical community who need them while caring for COVID-19 patients.
Featured Image Source: Pulse NG
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