By NGOZI  Onyeakusi

 

The Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, yesterday confirmed that three health workers out of the 100 that joined in conducting autopsy on pregnant woman who died of Lassa fever have been tested positive of the disease.

Briefing the press at a joint conference of the hospital management on the development, the LUTH’s Chief Medical Director, Prof. Chris Bode who said the situation have been under control, called on the general public not to panic.

He disclosed that the infected workers have been in the an isolation ward adding that the second patient who died of the disease at the hospital as a sickle cell patient from a neighboring state who was admitted on August 5.

We have about 22 people there. Today is the 14th day of monitoring and we hope that in the next seven days they will be discharged from the monitoring list. At present, we have two suspected cases at the Mainland Hospital but they are under control.”According to him, all the other 97 contacts are still under surveillance.

Bode said, “Three of the persons who have symptoms are receiving treatment at the Isolation Ward. They are being cared for by a group of professionals, volunteer doctors, epidemiologists, microbiologists, emotional caregivers and cleaners round-the-clock.

“And I want to assure the concerned public that they are responding well to treatment. This current outbreak is effectively being monitored. Those that are being monitored have been given thermometers to check their temperature. So, let us douse the panic.”