Presently in the country, the most commonly discussed subject is the coronavirus situation. That is what everyone is talking about. That is what the world is presently talking about. Since the news broke that a foreigner, an Italian to be precise was suspected to have contracted the virus and had visited parts of Ogun and Lagos States, panic had gripped everyone. Questions were being asked, answers were demanded. There appeared to be a lot of myths and half-truths in circulation and nobody knew what to believe anymore. This is why the duo of City People’s Senior Editor, WALE LAWAL (08037209290) and Head of Real Estate Desk, ISAAC ABIMBADE, sought a professional perspective on the Coronavirus and demand clear answers to the various questions many have been asking about the deadly virus that has taken over 3,000 lives since it broke out in Wuhan, China, a few weeks ago. And we were lucky. We got one of the best medical practitioners in the land, Dr. Emmanuel Sayoola, to speak to us.
Dr. Soyoola has been in the healthcare industry since 1981. He has a diverse background which began as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1981. Dr. Soyoola is well known for his excellence in Obstetrics and Gynecology. His patients find him to be very informative, resourceful and dedicated to their well-being. He is truly a man of many talents which he uses to help others stay well on various levels. Dr. Soyoola was inspired by his mother to attend medical school due to her role as a Mid-Wife. He is a very caring man and continued to help his patients achieve excellence in care.
Dr. Soyoola, Graduated with a D.V.M. from Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Nigeria. He got M.D. from Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia and his PhD in Molecular and Reproductive Endocrinology from Auburn University. He is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and he has a PhD in Molecular Genetics.
Dr. Emmanuel Soyoola has worked at Naval Base Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, Gwinnett Medical Center, Lawrenceville, Georgia, just to mention a few. He started Olan Comprehensive Healthcare Center in 2002 and he successfully established the hospital in Florida, Georgia and West Virginia before coming back to Nigeria to serve his fatherland with his rich experience and expertise. His interest in medicine started at a young age. His mother was a nurse-midwife and he inherited her love for helping to heal people. Olan Comprehensive Healthcare Center sees patients for primary care and Ob/Gyn needs.
Sir, can you give us a little background information on Coronavirus that many probably don’t know about?
Coronavirus is quite similar to other viruses that we have encountered in the past. It is found in animals, mostly cats, bats and in Cattles. This particular Coronavirus is from the bat source. As we already know, it originated from China and it’s already spreading all over. Now, does it mean it will not get here? Well, we already have a case, someone who got here from Italy. So, what do we do? We contain it. The truth is that there’s no treatment for it. Some people will say they have the treatment for it, if anybody truly has treatment for it, they should contact CDC, which is the Center for Disease Control. Center for Disease Control is an America based organization. They have a world widespread to contain diseases and they will be more than glad to see the person and hear what you have to say. If they have not gotten the treatment, then whoever is claiming they have got the treatment is only making noise.
So, what do medical experts mean when they say someone is receiving treatment for Coronavirus? What sort of treatment are people getting?
The treatment you get is to treat the symptoms that the person is having. There are three categories of symptoms, you have fever, you have respiratory problems like coughing, sneezing by common cold and the worst part is Pneumonia and this can cause a shut down in their respiratory system. What do you do if a patient has fever? They will give him Anti-Pyretic. And for those with common cold and coughing, they will handle that by treating the symptoms. And if they have respiratory problems and they have Pneumonia along with it, treat them for secondary Pneumonia because it is the bacteria part of the Pneumonia that will kill them. The main thing is that if you’re sick, even if it is just common fever, stay at home. Don’t go to crowded areas because you will transmit it to people. We should also undertake universal precautions. In any disease condition, whether it is endemic or pandemic, or just a normal one, we should be very careful. I’m not saying they should not go to gatherings but if you’re sick, stay away. Don’t go there and infect others and then it begins to spread wide. All it requires is a droplet infection. That means if I cough anyone could get it. That is why we always emphasize on washing your hands. This should take at least more than 30 seconds. And if you can’t do that you have to get sanitizers that have at least 60% alcohol and with that you’ll be able to prevent it. But it is better you stay away from large gatherings. Another area our government needs to pay attention to is the influx of travellers coming into the country. Everyone should be efficiently screened at the point of entry. There are Thermometers that will just scan your head and give you the body temperature. If it’s more than 38 deg.cent, then that person should be pulled aside for further evaluation because if you’re coming from an airplane, you shouldn’t be that hot because inside an airplane is cool. Then again, you must find out their contacts, because anybody they have come in contact with you need to check them so that they will not spread the virus.
Some people have said that wearing face masks is not effective, that the most effective thing is washing your hands, what’s your take on this?
The reason why wearing a mask is helpful is that at least the person who is coughing and sneezing will not put it out. If somebody with the virus coughs or sneezes out and the droplets fall on you and then you shake hands with people, definitely you will transfer and spread the virus. That is where the face mask is useful. The face mask basically prevents you from transmitting the virus to somebody else.
If I understood you very well, sir, Coronavirus is something that’s been existing before now?
Yes, it’s been existing in animals but when it comes to human beings, we cannot carry it because we’re a strange type and we don’t have the adaptation for it. That is why our immune system is unable to cope with it.
There is this controversy that Coronavirus will not survive in hot temperature climate..
(Laughs). I’m laughing because I have heard this so many times before. I know we Africans always believe we’re different from other creations. But the fact remains that we’re all same human beings. We all have 46 chromosomes. We all have the same type of genes but it may be expressed differently. We are subject to the same thing. So, telling me that we’re in tropics does not mean anything, let’s just say thank God that it did not come here. If it comes here, it will have the same effect it has had over there. So, don’t look at it and say it’s because we’re in tropics. We are only trying to give ourselves a pat on the back for something that’s not true.
But what we have heard from some experts is that the virus cannot survive under very hot temperature and that..
Let them come out and prove it. I am glad you mentioned this. Tell me, why does it cause fever? Why do they have a temperature of about 42 deg, centigrade, that’s the people that have it, if the disease can’t survive? Ask them that question. If they really know their science, if it’s surviving at a body temperature of 42 deg. Centigrade, it will survive here, are you getting my point? Science doesn’t believe in environment as such,. It cuts across every one of us. Let it get here and you’ll see that a lot of us will die. We don’t even have the equipment to battle the virus and cope with it. My prayer is that it doesn’t come to Nigeria because if it does we’ll be wiped out because we have nothing to fight it with. Those people have the money to battle it and God gave them their own portion of problems. We have enough problem of poverty here, God gave them their own problem. If God gives them the same kind of problem, we’ll be wiped out. Like I have also heard people say Chloroquine can cure it, they need to prove it. The CDC is a worldwide organization. Yes they are America based but they’re not biased. They will be more than glad to have some of our scientists come over to work with them. CDC is here, they have a branch here in Lagos. If you believe you have something that might help, call them up, they will come. They are not proud people. It’s we, the Africans, that are proud people. They are always seeking solutions to their problem. When Ebola broke out, they took charge. They are not proud people. We Africans are more arrogant than them. I know this because I’ve lived there for 36 years. It’s easier for a Caucasian to accept you once they see that you’re good in what you’re doing. But for an African to accept you, a fellow African? Our pride is too much. The first job that I got was at the Naval Base Hospital and I was the only coloured doctor there at the time. They don’t discriminate, once they know you’re good, then, you’re good. They accept you. They don’t discriminate. But for an African? Even if they know you’re good, they will still ask, when was he born? Where did he train from? Theirs isn’t like that. They want the best for their nation, once they know you’re good, they embrace you. They know that once they get the solution they’re looking for, the better for their people. They have far more population to deal with than us. Didn’t you hear President Trump say they’re going to allocate billions of dollars to combat Coronavirus? Multiply that by 360 naira. They are setting aside billions of dollars to prevent Coronavirus from spreading and to combat situations where some are already down with respiratory failure and other complications from Coronavirus.
