Marco Vigliotti
All 38 incoming Lambton College students from Nigeria have successfully passed precautionary Ebola screenings introduced by the school in response to the deadly outbreak of the virus in Western Africa, the college has confirmed.
Cindy Buchanan, the college’s senior marketing director, said all students from the African nation cleared the 21-day incubation period without displaying symptoms of the potentially fatal virus.
She calls the introduction of precautionary screening protocols, which included routine checkups for signs of fever, a "proactive" measure to ensure the health and safety of Lambton students.
"Our Ebola plan was solid," she said, noting the school's efforts also included reaching out to key stakeholders, such as Bluewater Health.
All of the hospital’s suggestions were implemented as part of the school's Ebola plan, Buchanan said.
The college was originally expecting an intake of 55 students from Nigeria, however, only 38 ended up coming to campus this year.
The response from the Nigerian students and the rest of the school body has been mostly positive, Buchanan said, noting an information session held about the situation was well-received by students.
"The (international students being tested) were very cooperative and the other students have been very welcoming and accommodating," Buchanan said, adding the school monitored the situation "very closely."
The Ebola outbreak has rocked Western Africa, where over 3,800 have died during the current outbreak.
Nigeria has won praise from the international press for its more robust efforts to hold the spread of Ebola compared to its less developed neighbours.
About 20 cases of the virus have been reported in the country, which is home to 174 million people