Minister of Health, Muhammad Ali Pate, yesterday, directed port health officers to begin to check arriving passengers for any symptom of the virus.
Our correspondent reports that the screening has commenced at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA), Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
However, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is yet to issue a circular on it especially to airlines on the need to put in place necessary checks on the passengers.
But a source at the MMIA said, “There is no cause for alarm as the Port Health Service has been mandated to start screening the passengers and we are not taking anything to chance. The Port Health Officers are conducting the right check on passengers of foreign airlines as they arrive into the country.”
It would be recalled that during the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020, Nigeria recorded its first confirmed case which was a 44-year-old Italian Citizen who had arrived in MMIA at about 10 pm on February 24, 2020, via a Turkish airline from Milan Italy.
When contacted yesterday on the actions being taken by the NCAA, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, promised to get back to us. He was yet to do so as of press time.
However, there has been a global concern over the spread of the new virus.
The virus was, as of yesterday, said to have spread to India, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Kazakhstan.
Neighbouring countries are keeping a tab on the situation.
Over 5,000 people were recently reported hospitalised in the United Kingdom as a result of the virus.The first case of HMPV was reported over the weekend and it is said to be rising.
Reports say the spike in cases coincides with colder weather and increased indoor activity, conditions that typically fuel the spread of respiratory viruses with experts saying the surge is consistent with seasonal trends.
Cases were also said to be surging in the UK as the UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) weekly National flu and COVID-19 surveillance report found that rates of HMPV have increased slightly to 4.5 per cent, according to the UK Independent.
The highest positive rate was among those five-years-old and younger at 10 per cent, the report said.
Consequently, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), in its advisory issued yesterday, and signed by its Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, said it was closely monitoring global developments in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
It is said: “We aim to provide timely, accurate information and guidance to keep the Nigerian public informed and prepared.”
The agency said that the rumor circulating about the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring HMPV a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) is false and should be disregarded.
“The WHO has not made such a declaration. Recent reports indicate a significant rise in Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) cases in China, as well as increased respiratory infections linked to HMPV in countries such as the United Kingdom (UK), France, and Germany, particularly during the winter season.
“The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has highlighted a notable rise in hospital admissions due to HMPV-related complications, especially among children under five and older adults in care homes. This trend emphasizes the need for heightened preparedness and vigilance,” NCDC said.
