SCHOOLS RESUMPTION: 181 STUDENTS, STAFF CONTRACT COVID-19 IN LAGOS PRIVATE SCHOOL

Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi.

Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, has said that 181 students and members of staff of a private boarding school located in the Lekki area of Lagos State have tested positive for COVID-19.

In a statement from the Ministry of Health, Abayomi said the positive cases were detected during surveillance and case investigation in the school.

The statement titled, “Lagos confirms COVID-19 infection in a private school”, was signed by the Ministry’s Director of Public Affairs, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo.

The statement quoted the commissioner as saying that “181 students and staff members of a private school located in a suburb of Lekki tested positive to COVID19 during surveillance and case investigation in the school. There are 441 students and staff in the school”.

Giving details of the investigation, Abayomi explained that “a 14-year-old SS1 female student fell ill on the 3rd of October and was sent home after receiving first aid at the school”.

He added that “the student subsequently tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday 6th of October in one of the accredited private labs in Lagos”.

“There is a total lockdown and movement restriction in the school with the Epidemiology and Surveillance Pillar of the EOC and Ibeju-Lekki LGA State Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer (DSNO) reporting at the school daily to conduct further investigation while positive students and staff have been isolated on the premises and given the COVID-19 home-care treatment packs and are being monitored in isolation within the school premises,” Abayomi added.

MALARIA RECRUDESCENCE: WHY YOUR ANTIMALARIAL DRUG (ACTs) DO NOT WORK SOMETIMES

We want to do a bit of clarification on the effects of co-administering ACT antimalarial agents such as Artemether+Lumefantrine antimalarial e.g Lonart DS, Coartem etc with blood tonic especially (the ones with iron) and Vitamin c (ascorbic acid)  

Please you need to wait till you are done with your malaria treatment before taking any form of blood tonics or supplements prepared in any form. Also, Vitamin C in tablets or fruits rich in Vitamin C should be avoided at all cost when taking malaria medication. 

The course of duration for ACTs is usually 3 days, hence it is advised you take your Vitamin C tabs after 3days.

The erythrocytes (red blood cells) are composed of elements with HAEMOGLOBIN been its basic unit. Haemoglobin is made up of HAEM( this is rich in iron) and GLOBIN.
Plasmodium falciparum i.e the malaria parasite makes use of iron contained in the HAEM part of the haemoglobin, this is a mechanism the malaria parasites use to multiply.

After destroying and breaking down the erythrocytes it happens that this parasites are targeting the HAEM component. These parasites succeed in infecting as many red blood cells as possible, the breaking down of RBCs causes anemia ( Anemia is a condition caused as a result of depleted RBCs in the blood in this case caused by malaria parasites).

Taking blood tonics while treating malaria would create more room for more parasites to exist as the HAEM (iron) present in most blood tonics taken to avert anemia after destroying the malaria parasites with ACTs might not be effective, the presence of iron in the body system would thus enhance the parasites survival in the blood.
Artemisinin derivatives such as Artemether are made up of an endoperoxide ring which are activated by the HAEM-IRON in the blood which catalyzes their cleavage or breakage to form free radicals aka oxidants.

Vitamin C is an ANTI-oxidant and thus acts as an anti oxidant which means it naturally attacks and inhibits the progression of free radicals or oxidants in the body or antagonizes the effects of oxidative derivatives induced by the ACTs(Artemisinin Combination Therapy)

Taking Vitamin C with your drug would therefore lead to the destruction of those free radicals that are supposed to kill the malaria parasites, thus giving room for proliferation/multiplication.

Next time you are given Blood supplements and (or) VITAMIN C with your ANTIMALARIAL DRUG'S be wise to finish with your malaria treatment before proceeding with the vitamins and blood tonics so as to prevent relapse and/or recrudescence.

COVID-19: FG DEPLOYS 60,000 HEALTH OFFICERS TO ENFORCE GUIDELINES FOR SCHOOLS REOPENING

The federal government has deployed about 60,000 Environmental Health Officers, who will act as volunteers, to mount surveillance and enforce Presidential Task Force (PTF) guidelines for schools reopening across the nation.

Recall that the federal government through the Presidential Task Force on COVlD-19, had in the past week decided to reopen schools which had remained closed since February as a measure to contain the spread of the disease in the country.

The schools reopening however is to be done in strict compliance with the directives of the PTF.

Addressing newsmen in Abuja on last week Monday, the Minister of Environment, Mahmood Abubakar, said 60,000 of such volunteers will cover schools in all the 774 local governments in the federation.

The 60,000 environmental health emergency volunteer corps, according to the minister, will be working with other stakeholders at the sub national levels in accordance with the said guidelines for the safe reopening of schools.

Abubakar said the ministry will monitor compliance with prescribed standards through a network of monitoring and evaluation teams across the nation and there will be sanctions for disobedience to the guidelines.

According to him, ”It is the duty of Environmental Health Officers to prioritize the immediate setting up of School Environmental Health Clubs where none existed prior to COVID-19 pandemic and as well resuscitate those not properly functioning. These clubs essentially run by selected learners will help in implementing directives of the teacher driven School Hygiene Committees.

”It is also appropriate to advise school managers to introduce Hygiene and Sanitation Prefectship to ensure proper compliance and daily guidance of learners. In the same vein, Environmental Health Officers working in the states and local governments are hereby directed to key into the training of teachers, administrators, and other education personnel on safety and hygiene measures namely disinfection, safe distancing, hand hygiene, use of face masks/shields, respiratory hygiene and Waste management.

“They will also play vital role in the development of information, education and communication (IEC) materials on hygiene and sanitation for use around the premises and in classrooms. EHOs should also see to the provisions for safe and hygienic school feeding arrangements and facilities as food hygiene is paramount in the safe school operation with particular attention to safe distancing in cafeterias. Equally important is for the EHOs to ensure food handlers and vendors in schools are regularly monitored for conformity with hygienic practices and behaviour while feeding learners from farm to fork.

”Furthermore, in accordance with the guidelines, environmental health officers in the federal and state Ministries of Environment as well as those in the LGA Environmental Health Departments shall be part of the Joint Assessment Teams for Safe Reopening of Schools and Learning Facilities being part of the Authorized Assessors.

“Additionally, Environmental Health Departments at all national levels are hereby directed to work collaboratively with respective Education Ministries and Departments to succeed.