Medical officers under the aegis of the Nigerian Medical Association, alongside virologists have expressed concern over the increasing abandonment of the use of face masks and other safety protocols as rates of COVID-19 infections are declining in the country.
They warned that such could result in a surge even as schools prepare to resume.
They also warned that with resumption of international flights, failure to abide by COVID-19 protocols could trigger more cases of the deadly virus.
A professor of Virology at the University of Ibadan, David Olaleye, told the PUNCH during an interview that the effect of failure to adhere to COVID-19 protocols might be serious as seen in developed countries.
He, however, warned that while those countries that re-opened businesses in a hurry were proactive about measures to take to mitigate the effect of their actions, Nigeria remained largely unprepared.
The President of the NMA, Prof Innocent Ujah, in a chat with The PUNCH, said the disregard for the use of face masks might increase COVID-19 cases in the country.
He said, “People have not been wearing face masks like when the pandemic started, this is as a result of lack of communication and orientation from the appropriate quarters. Look at what is happening in the governorship election campaigns in Edo and Ondo states, people are not wearing face masks and there is no social distancing.”
