President of the American University of Nigeria, Yola, (AUN), Margee Ensign, has said the federal government can control the deadly Ebola virus spreading in some parts of Nigeria, if the federal government is proactive and active in combating the virus to safe guard the lives of her citizens.
The University don made the disclosure yesterday in Abuja when she paid a courtesy visit to the Management of Peoples Media limited in Abuja.
She said the world perception of the Nigeria’s government in regard to handling the issue and preventing its spread to other parts of the country is that the government is not doing much to prevent the spread of the virus.
She said the federal government is expected to move fast in treating the people infected and those who showed the symptom of the virus as a precautionary measures to protect the lives of other citizens as done in countries of the world where there are few cases recorded.
The President said rather than moving fast in trying to develop a vaccine for the virus which may take up to 10 years, as reported in some dailies that the federal government is moving fast to develop a vaccine, it should concentrate more on the people who have contact with the patients of the virus, quarantine them and keep monitoring them for any symptom of the virus while they treat the infected.
She urged the federal government to watch the movement of people in and out of the country to curtail any eventuality, as not paying attention to that can cause more damage to the country.
On the precautionary measures taken by the university management as it is preparing to reopen the school for a new session to ensure that students are safe, the President said, the university has three full time stand-by nurses and doctors.
She said on resumption, every student must present his health certificate, certifying that he or she is fitness to resume school to prevent any health problem.
Ensign further explained that there is need for the media to educate and enlighten the general public that Ebola virus is not an airborne disease but can only be contracted through body fluid such as blood, sperm, sweat and direct contract with an infected person.
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