277 COVID-19 patients are being treated across Nigeria —Health Minister

The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire said on Friday that a total of 277 COVID-19 patients are undergoing treatment across the isolated centers in the country.

Speaking during the daily press briefing on COVID-19 update in Abuja, the minister also revealed that more people with COVID-19 were being detected and transferred to treatment centres.

Ehanire said: “As of today, 17th April, 2020, a total of 442 people in 20 states have been confirmed to have COVID-19. The 35 new confirmations are distributed as follows: 19 in Lagos, 9 in FCT, 5 in Kano and 2 in Oyo. 13 deaths, all with comorbidities, have been recorded so far, and 152 people have recovered from COVID-19 in Nigeria and have been discharged.

“This means there are 277 persons who have COVID-19 being cared for in our isolation and treatment centres across the country. The recent marked increase in the numbers of new COVID-19 cases is due likely, to scaled-up implementation of our new case-finding strategy, as well as the result of rising community transmission.

“With house-to-house and cluster testing, and using the revised criteria for sample collection, yield has increased. More people with COVID-19 are being detected and transferred to treatment centres.”

To this end, the minister said there will be more social mobilization for community testing at grassroots level and Isolation of positive cases, while the Presidential Task Force shall ensure that right message is disseminated to control ongoing transmission.

He said: “In this regard, I must again emphasise that citizens are obliged to disclose complete and accurate information to health workers, especially about their travel history or contact with persons who have or had COVID-19.

This, according to him is important because full disclosure allows health workers to promptly investigate, diagnose and treat correctly, to improve chances of patient survival and recovery.

Besides, right information also keeps the health workers safe; warning that withholding the truth puts both the user and caregiver at risk, and also other patients on site.

“Several health workers, who must then self-isolate as a result of exposure to a positive patient, will also be put out of circulation. This is not what we can afford with the limited number of health workers in the country,” he warned.

The minister added: “Infected persons also need not hide themselves at home till their condition so deteriorates that they have to be rushed to the hospital in critical state. Some among the fatalities we have seen could have been saved if they were presented earlier.

“It bears restating that persons who have fever of unclear origin and cough should first put on a mask or a face covering of any type, isolate themselves from friends and family and call the national emergency number.”

He explained that several persons who had COVID-19 have been successfully treated and discharged, as proof that most people do survive the disease.

He said: “I again request the cooperation of those who test positive, with health officials to accept any of the designated isolation and treatment centres, even if you feel very well. In the interest of the general public, the Ministry of Health, through Nigeria Centre for Disease Control reserves the right to investigate suspected cases of COVID-19, who are not complying with advisory.

“In addition, I also urge citizens not to pay attention to rumours and sensationalism, just as I advise purveyors of fake news, to desist from spreading fake news or misinformation that cause fear and panic.

“I wish to commend our health workers, particularly the frontline health workers who have been managing our patients, and urge all citizens to remember public health advisories and the social measures and regulations around the lockdown.”

COVID-19: FG Expresses Worries Over Mass Transportation Of People Out Of Lagos In Trucks
The Presidential Task Force on the coronavirus pandemic has alerted on what it called ‘mass transportation’ of people out of Lagos State in trucks, thereby worsening the spread of the disease… Read full story

Health Workers That Demand Fee For COVID-19 Test Will Be Sanctioned ― LASG
LAGOS State government (LASG) has said tests for COVID-19 are free of charge in all designated screening centres across the state… Read full story

We Want Our Tailors To Start Using Ankara, Others To Make Face Masks, Says Boss Mustapha
The Presidential Task Force on the coronavirus pandemic has asked the Nigerian garment factories especially tailors all over the country to start producing face masks using local fabrics such as Ankara and others… Read full story

(UPDATE): Faces Of Four Suspected Killers Of Afenifere Leader’s Daughter
The Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Adamu, on Thursday confirmed the arrest of four men suspected to have murdered Mrs Funke Olakunrin, the daughter of the leader of Afenifere, a pan-Yoruba sociocultural group, Pa Reuben Fasoranti… Read full story

COVID-19: FG Threatens To Close Down Private Hospitals Engaging In Unauthorised Treatment
THE Federal Government (FG) threatened on Thursday that it would close down private hospitals that engage in unauthorised treatment of COVID-19, warning that the country cannot afford avoidable morbidity… Read full story

Covid-19 Lockdown: When Lagos Residents Rose Against Gangs
Except for the sight of few commercial bus drivers and motorcyclists engaging in brisk business operations to make ends meet and in that way circumventing the presidential stay-at-home order, major roads across Lagos State are deserted as handful of commuters are stranded at various bus stations… Read full story

Ramadan 2020: UAE Charities To Shun Mosques, Tents, Deliver Iftar Meals To Homes
IFTAR meals will be directly delivered to those in need in the United Arab Emirates this year, rather than being served at Ramadan tents or at mosques… Read full story

What Islam Tells Us About Responding To Deadly Pandemics —Experts
EXPERTS have said that Islamic guidelines on epidemics, going back to the time of the Prophet Muhammad, can help people cope with COVID-19. They said Islamic rules over epidemics to protect people from death and sickness go back to the very early stages of the emergence of the monothesitic religion. According to them… Read full story

The Power Of Amotekun
Security is not just the most sacred value, it is the ultimate value. That is why it is philosophised that survival is the first law in nature. It is true that coronavirus issues now tend to override many other issues, but we must not lose our guard. This is because the history of warfare shows that adversaries always prefer to attack their… Read full story

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE