UNILORIN Students’ Union holds COVID-19 Awareness Week

The Students’ Union of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) has embarked on sensitisation to create awareness on COVID-19 protocols and prevention.

The union organised the sensitisation campaign as part of its 2021 Health Week, specifically dedicated to COVID-19.

Miss Halimat Folaromi, the Vice-President of the University of Ilorin Students’ Union in charge of the College of Health Sciences told newsmen on Wednesday that the Health Week was customary to the college,

Folaromi said that the COVID-19 Awareness Week entailed the distribution of hand sanitisers, face masks, pamphlets and free counselling sessions to curb the stigmatisation of COVID-19 patients.

She said the awareness week comprise lectures on COVID-19 and precautionary means to protect people from getting the disease.

Dr Ade Alabi, a lecturer in the Department of Epidemiology and Community Health, UNILORIN in his lecture entitled: “COVID-19: Mystery, Distress and Managements,” advised Nigerians to embrace the COVID-19 vaccine.

He said that to protect themselves, their friends and humanity at large against one of the greatest pandemics in modern history, taking the vaccine was imperative.

Alabi, who is also the Sub-Dean, Student Affairs of the College of Health Sciences, UNILORIN said people should be encouraged to take the vaccine.

He said this was due to the fact that the disease displayed a wide spectrum of clinical signs and symptoms.

“This affects vital organs of the human body such as the heart, lungs, gastrointestinal tract and the skin.

“The effects of COVID-19 are acute and the disease has long term consequences on some patients.”

Alabi said that it was important to always follow the COVID-19 protocols by wearing masks, washing hands and taking the vaccine “when there is an opportunity to take it.”

On the management of the pandemic, Alabi said that “although there are vaccines available to prevent the virus, the current management options for COVID-19 are Immunomodulatory drugs such as Hydroxychloroquine, Anticoagulant, Inflammation inhibitors and Antiviral agents such as Remdesivir.

The don said there could be complications for sufferers of COVID-19 such as “Long COVID” which is a term to describe the effects of COVID-19 that continues for weeks or months beyond the initial illness.

Alabi said that respiratory failure and other life changing impacts could also follow a severe phase of the illness.