COVID-19: Expert warns against self medication
As the number of Coronavirus infected persons and death tolls resulting from the pandemic continue to increase by the day, compelling Nigerians to look for ways of safeguarding their lives, a Medical Virologist working with the University of Lagos, Idi-Araba, Lagos, Prof. Sunday Omilabu, has warned Nigerians against self medications.
He advised that whenever one is feeling unwell, he/she should go to the next hospital for proper examination, observation and test instead of resorting to self medication which he said may lead to unexpected calamities.
Prof. Omilabu gave the warning during an online interaction with members of Health Writers Association of Nigeria (HEWAN) on COVID-19 in Lagos on Thursday.
The Prof who was responding to a question that “At what point should people draw a line between Malaria and COVID 19 since the symptoms are somehow similar…. because people with malaria treat themselves at home for fear of not being mistaken as having Corona virus,” warned Nigerians to avoid self medication in order to avert unexpected consequences.
According to him, “We should stop self medication. Once we are feeling unwell especially at this period, we should go to the next healthcare centre. Let the healthcare givers carry out their observations; let them tell us what to do. They can easily test to ascertain if it is malaria or if it is something combined with malaria, we must stop self medication to avoid unexpected calamities.”
On whether local herbs have the efficacy of treating coronavirus, the Prof explained, “A number of studies have been carried out on our local herbs, and have been seen to have proven efficacy against micro-bio infections including viruses. So we know we have plants materials that have good anti-viral content but a lot has to be done by way of testing the efficacy of the herbs on the virus particles to really establish that the plant extract has the potent materials to destroy the virus particles.
Tracing the history of Coronavirus and other viruses, Prof Omilaby said, “Coronavirus is not a new virus per say. Its recovery dated back to last century and we know now that there are some coronaviruses that affect human beings. The first four that we know that exist over 50 years ago are only associated with very mild upper respiratory tract infection. By late 2002, there emerged Severe Acute Respiratory Tract Syndrome Virus which shocked the whole world for more than three years – between December 2002 and 2004 where over 800 people died in Nigeria.
“Then in 2012, we had Middle East Respiratory Tract Syndrome virus which is also another coronavirus. In 2019 we had COVID-19 which is caused by SARS-COV2 virus, making the 7th human coronavirus that is in existence. Of All these seven coronaviruses, the last three are deadlier.”
