Monrovia Liberia – The Chief Medical Officer of Liberia, Dr. Francis Kateh, says Liberian medical practitioners are very concerned about the Coronavirus and are working assiduously to ensure it does not enter the Country.
Dr. Kateh said mechanisms are being put in place to make sure the virus is contained should there be any outbreak in Liberia.
The Liberian Chief Medical Officer indicated that, based on the nature of the virus, clinicians have identified a number of precautionary measures to trace individuals entering Liberia from affected countries to detect their health conditions.
He said COVDI-19 is very contagious and outlined several symptoms associated with the disease, including common cold, fever, sneezing, coughing among others.
Dr. Kateh also disclosed that a person can unknowingly become a carrier, due to his or her immune system and could eventually affect others.
He furthered pointed out that the Liberian Government has set up a Precautionary Observation Center (POC), to clinically examine Liberians and foreign nationals entering the Country from COVDI- 19 affected countries.
The Liberian Chief Medical Officer described the Center as Modified Quarantined Center intended to cater to CONVID-19 cases.
Dr. Kateh also disclosed that the Ministry of Health has established four parks that are being run in the Country.
According to him, since February, about one hundred sixty nine persons have been screened in the Precautionary Observation Centers, while seventy two others, including forty seven Liberians, twenty two Chinese, and three Sierra Leoneans, have been discharged.
The Liberian Chief Medical Officer, however, emphasized that there is no COVDI -19 cases in Liberia, noting that authorities of the health sector are working along with partners to ensure that the system is prepared to meet the challenge, considering the few cases in some parts of Africa.
It can be recalled that the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was first reported from Wuhan, China, on 31st. December, 2019.
Currently, the virus death toll reaches three thousand, with many other countries being hard-hit.