Lagos govt begins investigation as infection hits many Queen’s College students

THERE  is another epidemic at Queen’s College, Lagos, and many students are said to have been affected.

This incident is coming two years after three pupils of the school died from water-borne infections.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that parents are already in the school to withdraw their children, and many have been sent back home.

The school’s Sick Bay is said to be overcrowded with students, while many are laid on benches to create extensions.

The nature and source of the infection is yet unknown.

Chairman of the Parent-Teacher Association, John Ofoke, confirmed the incident, saying the situation is bad, but the Lagos State government says it has commenced investigation into the outbreak of illnesses among the students of Queens College and other schools in the state.

The Commissioner for Health, Professor  Akin Abayomi, in a statement signed by the Director, Public Affairs, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, said an investigative team comprising officials of  the State Epidemiology team, Primary Healthcare Services and Environmental Health Department of Lagos Mainland Local Government, had been set up and dispatched to unravel the cause of the illnesses.

Abayomi, while reviewing preliminary reports of the investigations conducted by the team, explained that the surveillance team identified what appeared to be a sporadic increase in upper respiratory tract infections characterised by cough, fever and weakness across some schools.

“The team has since visited Queens College and investigations are ongoing. Findings according to the review of health records in the school’s Sick Bay revealed that 89 students presented to the clinic with influenza-like illnesses”, he said.

He added that a walk through facilities in the school revealed that environmental sanitation and water supply are optimal, but could be improved.

He noted that the incidences were not an outbreak per se, but excess number of cases that needed to be investigated.

Abayomi revealed that nasal swab samples would be collected from pupils for confirmation of the cause of the illness.

As we await comprehensive report of the investigation being conducted, I would like to appeal to stakeholders of Queens College, other affected schools and residents of the state to remain calm and ensure strict adherence to personal and environmental hygiene at all times.

“I assure you that the situation is under control and seems to be subsiding. We will give necessary updates as the assessment and investigation progresses,” Abayomi said.

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He advised all schools in  the state  to adopt basic precautionary measures against diseases  by teaching and  ensuring good hand washing practices, promoting personal hygiene as well as  providing adequate hand washing points within the school premises.

He added: “They must also commence and continue to raise awareness about respiratory etiquette such as covering of mouth with clean hands or handkerchiefs when coughing or sneezing as well as washing hands immediately after.

“School management must also hold food handlers and vendors to the highest health and hygiene check protocols as stipulated in the law, and practised the world over.”

Abayomi further advised that high standards of sanitation within the school and its surroundings should be ensured and maintained.

He advised pupils to avoid sharing personal items such as spoons, handkerchiefs, toothbrushes, amongst others.

“School management  must ensure conspicuous display of posters with health messages around the schools premises and commence daily announcements  about preventing the spread of germs and  the need for frequent hand washing,” he said.

He encouraged school management to carry out  simulations and drills regularly, noting that this would enhance emergency preparedness.

He appealed to school authorities as well as citizens to report suspected case(s) of any strange illnesses and diseases to the nearest public health facility or the Medical Officer of Health (MOH)  in their local government area or to the Directorate of Disease Control in the Ministry of Health through the following lines: 08023169485, 08023377487.

Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Education has said it will not shut down Queen’s College, Lagos, over the outbreak of infection among the students  at the weekend.

The deputy director of press of the ministry, Mr Ben Goong, stated this on Tuesday in an exclusive conversation with  Nigerian Tribune, saying the incident was not worth worrying about by parents and other stakeholders.

According to him, what happened in the school was not a water-borne ailment as some people insinuated  but just  common cold.

Mr Goong explained that students who just returned from  the  holiday brought the virus from homes and spread it among other students as they sneezed and coughed.

While pointing out that the affected students had recieved medical attention, he said medical personnel from outside the school were also on ground  in case of fresh outbreak and that some parents who had  taken away their children from  the school had started returning them.