by Terry Morgan
CHAPTER 18
At the American Embassy In Diplomatic Drive, Abuja, Doctor Larry Brown was waiting for his first chat with the American Ambassador since he'd started work. He'd already waited an hour. But at last he was called in.
"Larry, good to see you. Settling in?"
"Yes, thanks."
"I hear you've spent a lot of your first few weeks travelling and in and around Lagos. Good idea. Get a good feeling of the problem there. Up here in Abuja, there's a bit more fresh air to breathe. How do you find it?"
"Lagos, sir? I'm still trying to get my head around the place, let alone travel around it."
"It's a challenge, Larry. That's what it is - a challenge. But you know the US position on healthcare. The only health care worth having here is private. Even these fall short of what we would expect in USA - and the quality of doctors? - makes me want to cry, Larry. Officially it's rated as poor to fair and as for the use of modern procedures - I wouldn't let them treat my dog.
"And as you know most of their medicines are imported from Europe. That's OK, I suppose, Larry, but we need to change that. More stuff needs to come out of USA. That's partly why you're here - to find ways to get our exports in. Met the guys in charge? Takes a while.
"As for their blood supplies - keep a pint or two of your own in the 'fridge, Larry. And never have a car accident out of town. And make sure you're nowhere near the scene if there's a civil disaster. The military couldn't cope and would probably only scrape up their own folk. And don't just stand there watching, Larry. Oh, dear me no. Make yourself scarce Larry - you wouldn't want to get the blame."
"Yes, sir. I'm learning all that," said Larry.
"Too many of them anyway, Larry. Breed like rabbits. Nice rabbits I hasten to say. I like Nigerians, don't get me wrong. Lot of character. I've been here long enough to make a lot of friends. But it's one hell of a mess out there. Shoulder to shoulder - especially Lagos."
"Yes, sir, I noticed."
"Now, Harry. Reason for getting you back up here. I understand you uncovered a bout of sickness up north. WHO are keen to know more. They phoned. What did you find? We need to get back to WHO with something. They're easily panicked."
"Kano, sir. I came across a closed private clinic in a back street. Seems the Kano State government had been trying to clear things up......"
"Told you, Larry. It's all about standards. At last they're taking note. Go on."
"Well, it seems there was a doctor operating out of the clinic who was bringing sick patients in, in the back of a Toyota pick-up and........."
"Christ! Go on."
".....and carrying them out in the same pick-up................"
"Cured, Larry? Cured?"
"Dead, sir."
"Dear Lord. How many?"
"I spoke to a State Government official. They reckon a hundred or more. More than a hundred records found anyway. No names, just numbers."
"Jeez.....go on."
"Seems like they all came in with the same sort of infection - fever, serious respiratory, coughing. That's why I called WHO. Things like that need reporting."
"Dead right, Larry. So have they arrested the doctor?"
"No, he's disappeared."
"Disappeared? Where?"
"No idea sir."
"So what is the State Government doing about it?"
"Nothing. Too busy with the Boko Haram Islamic insurgency. They uncovered another bomb stock yesterday, I understand. It was on CNN..........."
"Yes, I know - we're keeping our fingers crossed, Larry - don't want to get involved but don't want another Iraq or Syria, either. Go on."
"Then I heard about a similar case in Kenya - from a French guy I know. Then there are some cases in Thailand. Have you read the New York Times, today?"
"No time, yet. Why you ask?"
"There was a conference in Bangkok. Could be a new virus. "
"And you, an American, discovered it, Larry?"
"Not exactly, sir. We must leave it to the WHO, but let me know if you start sneezing or coughing, sir."
"Ha! Where's my handkerchief? Keep me posted, Larry."
Later that day, Larry, logged onto the WHO website to find a new 'Disease Outbreak Notification' - a DON - had just been posted.
"The Ministry of Public Health in Thailand has announced three laboratory-confirmed cases of a Respiratory Infection caused by a virus similar to, but not identical to, the Middle East Coronavirus MERS-CoV.
The first case patient was a 42-year-old man from Ayuttaya, the second a 28-year-old man from the same area. The third patient was a twenty one year old woman from Bangkok. All three patients have died.
It is known that at least four more patients have also died following similar symptoms. The Ministry is currently investigating all cases.
WHO is currently investigating reports of an outbreak of a respiratory infections with similar symptoms to the Thai cases in Kano State, Northern Nigeria and one similar case in Kenya. The number of associated deaths in Nigeria is unknown. The Kenyan patient is known to have died.
WHO is monitoring the situation, particularly in relation to identifying the virus."
"So what are the Nigerian Health authorities themselves saying, then?" Larry asked himself out loud. He answered it himself. "Nothing by the look of it."