Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, has disclosed what he did in isolation in order to become negative of the coronavirus.
The governor had announced that he was positive of the disease and went into isolation. He got all-clear and announced he had become negative on Sunday night.
But speaking on phone with Fresh FM, a radio station based in the state, Makinde gave account of his time in isolation and how he was able to test negative after earlier testing positive.
Maintaining that he remained asymptomatic, Makinde said he only put in efforts to boost his immunity and used his time in isolation to regularly exercise on the treadmill.
In boosting his immunity to overcome the virus, he said he consumed Vitamin C, carrots as well as blackseed oil mixed with honey.
He consequently urged all residents of the state not to fret, saying that local solutions existed to boost immunity and overcome the virus.
“My very good friend and brother, Dr Muyideen Olatunji is the one in charge of the Primary Healthcare for Oyo State. He came to me and said, look, I am going to send to you this blackseed oil, it boosts immunity. So I mixed it with honey and took one teaspoon in the morning and one in the evening.
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“So, there are local solutions to boost immunity. Our people should not fret. Just as I have been able to get the virus out of my system, so will it be for majority of our people,” Makinde said.
According to Makinde, his days in isolation also offered him a time to rethink his programmes and policies for the state as well as how to handle the socioeconomic effects of COVID-19 on the state.
“I have lost a little bit of weight which I think is good. When you are in isolation, the tendency is just to watch television and eat, I was eating amala. But I was also using the treadmill. It has also been a period to reflect and look at the programmes, policies and the things we want to do for the people of Oyo state and also reflect on how the COVID-19 is going to affect us socially and economically,” Makinde added.
Makinde,also on Monday, promised the commitment of his administration to ensuring that no citizen of the state dies from contracting the virus.
Speaking during the opening the 100-bed Infectious Disease Centre, Olodo, Ibadan, meant to serve as isolation centre in the state, Makinde said what was more imperative was for residents of the state to adhere to social distancing and hygienic practices.
While announcing that he had taken over as head of the Oyo COVID-19 task force, Makinde described as jobless those who criticised him for handing over headship of the task force to former Chief Medical Director, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Professor Temitope Alonge.
He said his decisions in relation to tackling coronavirus in the state were informed by advice from medical experts.
“We are all in an uncharted territory so we may not be 100 percent perfect but I want you to continue to give us your support because we are here to work for you and we are here to ensure that no life is lost to this pandemic. Our measures are all work in progress. So, where we see any need for improvement, we will work on improvement.
“Let us keep observing social distancing, good hygiene practices. They told me that the virus itself is fearful such that washing of hands with soap and water destroys the virus.
“Some jobless people have been talking about who I should hand over to whether it should be a Professor of Virology. I am not a Professor of Virology myself. When the experts speak, the people in positions of leadership only need commonsense. They have a room there where they cross pollinate ideas, discuss and challenge themselves and come up with the best course of action,” Makinde said.
Speaking further, he emphasised that he would not declare a total lockdown until the state government had all the needed palliatives and had the data to ensure that the right persons get the palliatives.
“We have been very deliberate in not directing a total lockdown until palliatives are in place. A major challenge for us is the fact that we need to cut out the middlemen, and we also have to ensure that those who actually need the palliatives are those who get the palliatives,” Makinde added.