A medical expert, Dr Chijioke Asogwa, has advised Nigerians to adopt cashless payment systems to keep and stay safe this period of COVID-19 pandemic.
Asogwa, who is the Board Chairman of Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ENS-PHCDA), gave the advice while speaking with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Wednesday.
He noted that the advocacy on use of cashless payment systems, which was in conformity to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) cashless policy, had become necessary to curb the spread of COVID-19 in communities in the country.
According to him, since the cash or paper money has surface, the same surface can also act as medium of spread.
Asogwa, a public health physician, said anyone that handle cash infected with the virus through human sneezing, coughing or mouth liquid droplets can get infected unknowingly through this process.
“As we are in the community transmission of the virus, one must be very careful to always monitor the surfaces he or she touches including touching surfaces of money.
“I advocate that all Nigerians should adopt the CBN cashless policy.
“This is a situation where one does all his or her monetary transactions electronically, by monetary/payment online transfers, ATM transfers and POS among others without touching physical cash.
“As we are in the community transmission stage of the virus, it is difficult for you to know or trace where the cash or physical money you want to collect is coming from.
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“As far as the physical cash has a surface it can be infected with the virus even through asymptomatic patients of COVID-19.
“Asymptomatic patients of COVID-19 are healthy carriers of the virus that show no sign of having the virus and they go about their daily business mingling with people and touching cash as well,’’ he said.
The health expert urged Nigerians to be circumspect in all they do and follow strictly NCDC and health ministry directives.
“As a matter of necessity, you must take personal responsibility for your health and that of your family members this season,’’ he added. (NAN)