As the threat of the deadly Coronavirus intensify, the imam of Gunjur, Alhagie Muhammed Lamin Touray has today announced the suspension of all congregational prayers in the sprawling coastal settlement of predominantly Muslim until further notice.
Imam Ratib of Gunjur, Lamin Touray
The move came as Gambia registered its first case of the covid-19 virus which has been declared pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Earlier this week, the government of The Gambia banned public gatherings, ordered the closure of schools and university in an effort to stem the spread of the virus in the country.
Despite the fact that only one case of the Coronavirus has been recorded in the country, there is fear that more people may have contracted the virus who may not be showing any symptoms.
Coronavirus also known as Covid19 broke out in December 2019 in the Chinese city of Wuhan. The virus quickly spread worldwide infecting over a quarter of a million people, and killing 10496 of those infected. Of the total number of infections, 89,918 have recovered from the virus.
What is Coronavirus?
World Health Organisation definition:
Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a new strain that was discovered in 2019 and has not been previously identified in humans.
Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans.
Signs and symptoms of the Coronavirus
Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.
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