The Covid-19 situation in Nigeria is getting complicated by the day with the indication that the days ahead will witness dramatic increase in the number of confirmed cases.
This is as the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, has disclosed that there is an indication that Nigeria has entered what he described as ‘sustained community transmission” of the disease.
Speaking at the daily media briefing to update Nigerians on the Covid-19 situation in Abuja, Friday, Ehanire said that the situation in Nigeria has gotten to community transmission, because,”30% of the cases have incomplete epidemiological information, while 51% are imported cases and 19% are contacts of known cases.
“We are using the small window of opportunity remaining to intensify investigations to identify cases and their sources.
“This is one of the purposes for which the lockdown of 2 States and the FCT was proclaimed by the President.
“These areas, especially Lagos as primary epicenter, but also other parts of the Federation, need to speed up their activities to detect and isolate COVID-19 patients.
“During and following the lockdown, we expect to see an increase in cases as a measure of improvement in case finding. If social distancing and other measures are adhered to, the incidence of positives cases can be controlled.”
The Minister revealed that close to 3000 samples have been tested so far in Nigeria, noting that the government is working hard to scale up its capacity in a targeted approach.
According to Ehanire, cumulatively, as of April 3, Nigeria has190 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across 12 states and the FCT, 2 fatalities and 20 cases discharged from treatment.
He noted that 98 cases are in Lagos State, 48 in FCT, Osun 20, Oyo 8, Akwa Ibom 5, Edo, Kaduna and Ogun, 4 each, Bauchi 3, Enugu and Ekiti 2 each, while Rivers and Benue have 1 each.
It would be recalled that few days ago, the Association of Nigeria Health Journalists (ANHEJ), in a statement, appealed to the federal government to take urgent measures to ensure that the country does not get to community transmission of the Covid-19.
“Most worrisome, however, is that, a considerable number of the newly confirmed cases are not imported. What this implies is that our situation is gradually getting to community spread of the diseases.
“This is evident in the case of aides of some top government functionaries who are said to have come down with the illness without travelling outside the country. They contracted it from their bosses,” ANHEJ said in its statement signed by its President, Hassan Zaggi and General Secretary, Gloria Essien.
