Disease
Nigeria confirms 476 new virus cases
The Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), has confirmed 476 new cases of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in the country. The NCDC confirmed this through its official Twitter handle on Thursday. The agency said that seven deaths were recorded in the country. NCDC said that till date, 50,964 cases have been confirmed, 37,569, discharged and 992 deaths recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. According to it, the 476 new cases are reported from 18 states. It said that Lagos has the highest figures of 235 cases, followed by FCT with 44 cases. Others were Kaduna (41), Borno (33), Plateau (28), Abia (13), Edo (13), Rivers (12), Imo (11), Oyo (10), Kano (9), Kwara (7), Enugu (5), Katsina (5), Gombe (4), Ogun (4), Nasarawa (1), and Zamfara (1). The NCDC stated that...
FCT health secretary discharged from isolation centre
The Acting Secretary of the FCT Health and Human Services Secretariat, Dr Mohammed Kawu, has been discharged from the Asokoro District Hospital, Abuja, where he has been receiving treatment for COVID 19. Kawu disclosed this in a statement he personally signed and made available to journalists in Abuja on Saturday moments after he was declared free of the Coronavirus. It would be recalled that the Acting Secretary had announced that he and some members of his family had contracted the disease about two weeks ago. Speaking about his experience as a Coronavirus patient, Kawu said he had moderate to severe symptoms. “I developed a chest infection, so I had to be on antibiotics for some days. But thank God, myself and members of my family do not have the symptoms again and we have been discharg...
NCDC rules out elderly, symptomatic coronavirus patients from home care
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has ruled out elderly patients and those with severe symptoms from home care treatment for COVID-19. Since Nigeria recorded its first case of the virus in February 2020, government has been managing those who tested positive in designated isolation/treatment centres in order to prevent them from infecting others. With the increasing confirmed cases stretching the bed spaces available in the centres, the government decided that some patients can be treated at home. The NCDC, in a document tagged “Interim guidelines for home care of confirmed COVID-19 cases” published on Saturday, however, said not all who tested positive to the virus can be treated outside isolation centres. Apart from age and symptoms, the centre also said patients who lack adequate h...
10 Customs officers contracted coronavirus at Lagos ports – comptroller
File Photo The Controller of the Apapa Customs Command of the Nigerian Customs Service, Comptroller Mohammed Abba-Kura, on Thursday, said ten of his officers contracted the COVID-19 disease and were treated at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). This is even as the Controller stated that any vessel Red-Flagged for issues with health or safety concern will not be boarded by his officers until cleared by relevant government agencies. Addressing maritime journalists in his office, on Thursday, Comptroller Mohammed Abba-Kura explained that there is no way the Command can stop physical examination of cargoes for now because of the fear of COVID-19, that rather, it is important for individuals to observe physical hygiene while carrying out port activities. According to Abba-Kura, “Whe...
Medical council validates four coronavirus test kits – registrar
The Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) says it has validated four Rapid Test Kits to determine their suitability for testing SAR-COV-2 infection popularly known as COVID-19 in the country. The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of MLSCN, Dr Tosan Erhabor, disclosed this in a video posted on the official twitter account of the council @MedLabNigeria. Erhabor said the council placed an advert in four National Daily Newspapers on March, 30, requesting for submission of COVID-19 test kits by manufactures of their sales representatives in the country. “A total of eleven 11 in-vitro Diagnostics; one Polymerase Chain Reaction based kit, nine Rapid Test Kits (RTKs) two Antigen based seven Antibody based kits and one Viral Transport Medium (VTM) were received. “They were recei...
NDDC HQ shut over ‘coronavirus outbreak’
The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has ordered the immediate shutdown of the headquarters of the Niger Delta Development Commission in Port Harcourt following the sudden death of the Commission’s Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Chief Ibanga Etang. Chief Etang, whose death occurred in the early hours of Thursday at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital in Port Harcourt, was suspected to have died from complications arising from coronavirus disease. To this ends, Senator Akpabio has directed all staff of the Commission currently exhibiting symptoms not to panic but to report to the nearest NCDC centre in Port Harcourt for evaluation. The ministry in a statement by its Director, Press & PR, Mrs Deworitshe Patricia said the “Minister of N...
Kogi gives conditions for coronavirus test
The Kogi State government has insisted the State is still free from the rampaging Coronavirus disease even as it has given condition for recognizing any Covid-19 test conducted outside it’s boundaries by it’s citizens. This is contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by Dr. Saka Haruna Audu, Commissioner for Health. He said the major interest of the government is to secure lives and not in politics. “Kogi State till this very moment is Covid-19 free. We have developed full testing capacity and have conducted hundreds of tests so far which have come back negative. “We have also continued to insist that we will not be a party to any fictitious Covid-19 claims which is why we do not recognise any Covid-19 test conducted by any Kogite outside the boundaries of the State except those initia...
Nigeria considers traditional herbal treatment for coronavirus
The Federal Government is not ignoring any direction in it’s search for cure for the Coronavirus disease. Aside orthodox sources, the government is exploring traditional alternatives for ways to defeat the virus. Part of the efforts is the plan to screen 19 Nigerian firms to assess their suitability for the production of herbal remedies to the pandemic. Newsmen report that the Federal Ministry of Health and National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC are coordinating the efforts. The firms, it was learnt, made many claims ranging from the outright cure for COVID-19 to the treatment of the symptoms. It was learnt that the 19 firms had met with the leadership of the ministry and the Department of Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The firms have, however, been ...
Senator Lawan distributes palliatives to thousands in Damaturu, Yobe North
President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has distributed food palliatives to thousands of residents in Damaturu and the six local government areas in Yobe North Senatorial District of Yobe State. The local governments are: Bade, Nguru, Jakusko, Yusufari, Karasuwa, and Machina, respectively. The gesture by Senator Lawan was aimed at providing relief to residents in Damaturu, the State Capital and his Constituency, who are affected by the lockdown policy following the spread of the COVID-19 disease. The distribution of palliatives was accompanied with the provision of infrared thermometers, chemicals for disinfection, spraying machines, hand sanitizers, face masks, hand gloves and boots. Also to be provided are Personal Protective Equipments (PPE) to some hospitals across the various local gove...
NMA: Eight doctors test positive for coronavirus in Zamfara
No fewer than eight doctors are confirmed to have tested positive to coronavirus disease in Zamfara, the state’s branch of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has said. The NMA Vice-Chairman in the state, Dr Mannir Bature, made the disclosure during a chat with journalists in Gusau on Wednesday. He said: “Out of about 80 confirmed cases recorded so far in the state, 10 per cent are doctors who came into contact with the virus in the line of duty while trying to save lives, especially at emergencies. “We are however happy to note that out of the number, sixty per cent have been discharged from hospital while the remaining are fast responding to treatment,” he said. Dr Bature also said 30 other doctors who came into contact with their infected colleagues went into self-isolation in order t...
Minister advises on correct use of face masks
The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, has again advised Nigerians to use their face masks correctly, to protect themselves and others from contracting the dreaded coronavirus disease. The minister gave the advice at the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 daily news conference on Tuesday in Abuja. He said that no policing should be needed to do the right thing, urging citizens to abide by the mandatory and correct use of face masks for the protection of others. Ehanire said that masks worn, must be washed daily, ironed and where possible, masks should cover mouth and nose and should not be left under the chin during close contact conversations or its purpose would be defeated. “New understanding is that droplet dispersal takes place even during normal speech and common use of face mas...
Plateau counter NCDC on number of coronavirus cases
Plateau State government has refuted a claim by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, that the State has five additional cases of COVID-19 disease as at Friday, the 15th saying it was only new case that was recorded as the remaining four were repeated cases which were mistaken for fresh ones. The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Nimkong Lar who briefed journalists alongside the Secretary to the Government of the State, Professor Danladi Atu, and State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Dan Manjang said so far Plateau has only 11 active cases of the disease and all patients are responding to treatment. He noted that the attention of the NCDC has been drawn to the error with the belief that the needed correction would be effected. He urged citizens to continue to obey s...
