The Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) has asked the federal government to convert COVID-19 pandemic isolations centres across the country to Emergency Infectious Disease Centres for future outbreaks.

Chief Executive Officer of the institute, Patrick Dakum, gave the advice in Abuja at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum.

In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, the federal government, with intervention of the Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) and other partners, created and equipped isolation centres across the country.

Mr Dakum, therefore, said such centres could be converted to function as high-level isolation units for any infectious diseases even when COVID-19 was over.

He added that “I always give an example of the country doing this at the point where it had Ebola then.

“I went to the United States of America and decided to visit an Ebola isolation centre just to learn what they were doing. There was no Ebola then, they only had one or two cases.

“Suddenly, there was a demonstration on how to respond to Ebola outbreak in future, with personnel in their full Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs).

“So I think the systems that we have developed for the response, the equipment that we have, I hope you know that the GeneXpert machine that we’re using for tuberculosis detection could be used for COVID-19 test also.

“Some of these equipment just need a change of cartridge so we now have a widespread deployment of that equipment.”

He explained that the GeneXpert machines were used in the country for tuberculosis detection “but more were procured and developed to be used for both tuberculosis and COVID-19 across the country.

“We also got ventilators that are not just for COVID-19 but for respiratory distress.”

Mr Dakum also advised that “now that the country has a team for creating awareness on the COVID-19 pandemic, the team can also create awareness on other diseases.

“The methodologies used for behavioural change can also be used for other diseases,” the expert said.

(NAN)