The second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic hits hard at the University Teaching Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, as some of the doctors, nurses and health workers of the hospital are either managing the virus or going on isolation.
The major cause of increased number of cases in the hospital is either due to failure of asymptomatic health workers reporting cases of contacts with patients or the increase in number of people storming the UCH with Covid-19 symptoms in recent days.
It has been confirmed that asides from people not reporting their observations of Covid-19 symptoms early, the cases were reported to spread due to people’s non-adherence to protocols of wearing facemasks, avoiding gatherings, maintaining distance and regular washing of hands.
A staff of UCH, Toye Akinrinola, while speaking with Nigerian Tribune warned against the failure to adhere to Covid-19 protocols noting that the second wave of Covid-19 is more deadly than the first.
He stated that as much as the increasing rate is not peculiar to UCH alone but across the universe, the hospital had begun to enforce the wearing of facemask by everyone visiting and does not hesitate to send back anyone found flouting these protocols. This is in addition to decontamination of the hospital every two weeks to curtail the spread of the virus.
“It is a general public all over the world and we had the NMA scream two weeks ago. In our case, everybody is conscious; we are taking adequate measures to protect ourselves.
“If any medical practitioner, a health worker is confirmed positive, they go on isolation. You may be asymptomatic and still be positive. If you don’t exhibit any of the symptoms, you still can take care of yourself in isolation and not necessarily be held in the ward.
“The spread is not UCH; it is global but we are taking measures. We have started enforcing wearing facemasks. If you are a visitor to the hospital and you are not wearing a facemask, we will drive you back.
“We check our clinics and if you don’t have any business being in our hospitals, we drive you back. If you are with a patient and not taking precautionary measures, as stipulated by NCDC, we drive you out of the hospital.
“We want to ensure that people who don’t have direct business with the hospital don’t come in; and when you are here, you must comply with the COVID-19 precautionary measures.
“Since the COVID-19 started, we decontaminate our environment at least twice a week. We have a mechanized fumigator that goes around. We do that very regularly.”
While those confirmed positive have been advised to isolate themselves, he failed to mention the number of health workers that are currently battling with the virus.
