Now that Lassa fever is in Lagos

We have had cases of Lassa fever for months now. This outbreak has spread gradually to different parts of Nigeria. Now, it is in Lagos. I think it is very worrisome because Lagos is a mega city. It is overpopulated and the risk of the virus spreading is much higher than it would in a […]

We have had cases of Lassa fever for months now. This outbreak has spread gradually to different parts of Nigeria. Now, it is in Lagos. I think it is very worrisome because Lagos is a mega city. It is overpopulated and the risk of the virus spreading is much higher than it would in a normal city. A typical Lagosian takes public transport and would inevitably touch other passengers directly or indirectly. The traffic is so bad now that people who own private vehicles now prefer to take public transport. Although,the state government has provided emergency numbers to call and precautionary measures to take, that isn’t enough. The federal government should provide medical centres specifically designed to care for patients diagnosed with Lassa fever. This could easily spread beyond control in such a populated city as Lagos.

Funsho Olayiwola, Lagos State