COVID-19: PTF stresses the need to ease restrictions

The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19  has hinted on the need to ease lockdown; even though the country is in a community transmission phase.

Speaking, on Thursday, at the daily briefing of the PTF, the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, noted that “easing social restrictions is desirable, but only if we can meet up with expectations that will not allow a spike in infection rates.”

This according to him has led certain countries to reintroduce lockdowns; adding, “we are reviewing health sector-specific advisories on re-opening the economy.”

The minister expressed concerns over the increase in the number of cases, and he pointed out that in the event of overflow, hotels and school dormitories would be used to treat COVID-19 patients.

Dr Ehanire said: “We need to continue increasing bed capacity to match the probable number of patients so that we do not experience horrific scenes of bed space shortages seen in some European hospitals.

“In event of overflow, we can require hotels and school dormitories to be prepared for level 1 (Quarantine) and level 2 Isolation (of COVID-19 positive with zero or mild symptoms), to free hospital beds to be dedicated to level 3, (moderate to severe cases) and level 4, (high dependency and Intensive care unit).

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“I therefore call on activists and philanthropists to work with State governments in concerted steps to scale up non-pharmaceutical measures and beef up infrastructural assets for isolation and treatment in their states.”

He pointed out that the global efforts to find a cure for COVID-19, in which Nigeria is participating in the WHO solidarity trial, will be reviewed by our panel of experts.

This, according to him is necessary as WHO has suspended the trial, due to alarm raised by a Medical journal, on the safety of some drugs being tried, like hydroxychloroquine, chloroquine and their combinations.

On the efforts for local drugs, the minister said: “Proposals for the trial of local remedies for the disease have been sent to the relevant research and testing agencies for scientific evaluation. The Madagascar herbs have been received at the Ministry of Health, and were found to consist of two varieties; one-labelled to be for prevention and the other for treatment.

“Samples have been given to three agencies of the Min. of Health and also to the Ministry of Science & Technology. These are normal processes for new preparations to be approved for use in Nigeria, and include toxicological and efficacy tests and clinical trials.”

He assured that government will investigate all genuine efforts to find homegrown solutions to the pandemic.

“Until a cure or vaccine is found, prevention is still the best approach to controlling community spread of the virus. We must strengthen the social measures that compensate for the risks to be expected if and when restrictions are further lifted.” The minister said.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE