Daud Olatunji, Abeokuta

The Commissioner for Health in Ogun State, Dr Tomi Coker, has warned mothers to desist from giving their children sanitisers to drink as a way of combating coronavirus.

Coker, who gave this warning said this on Tuesday during a press briefing on the update of cases of COVID-19, described the development in the state as a myth.

The commissioner said she had discovered that many mothers in the state had been engaging in asking their children to drink sanitisers so as to get immune against the deadly virus.

The medical expert said there was no evidence that drinking sanitisers would prevent COVID-19.

She said, “We also want to address some myths in society. There are mothers that are actually giving their children sanitisers to drink.

“There is no evidence that giving sanitisers to children will prevent COVID-19. So, we encourage people to cease from doing this.”

The commissioner also allayed the fears of the people over the report that a victim of COVID-19 was at the State Hospital, Ijaiye, Abeokuta a few days ago.

Coker said the patient who visited the hospital with some symptoms of COVID-19 had tested negative.

She said, “The individual that presented to Ijaye hospital with signs and symptoms suggestive of a COVID-19. Since then, the individual who is a male has been admitted into our isolation centre and tested negative of COVID-19.

“We have treated him for other ailments and he has today been discharged home hale and hearty.”

On the number of ventilators the state has, the commissioner said not less than 24 ventilators have been secured including 10 at the 250 beds hospital in Abeokuta.

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