News
NCDC Chairman Reveals that Lagos State is Struggling with Bed Spaces + Other COVID-19 Updates
204 more persons have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, bringing to 1,932, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control made this known via its Twitter handle. It also said that a total of 58 patients have died of coronavirus-related fatalities in the country.
204 new cases of #COVID19 reported;
80-Kano
45-Lagos
12-Gombe
9-Bauchi
9-Sokoto
7-Borno
7-Edo
6-Rivers
6-Ogun
4-FCT
4-Akwa Ibom
4-Bayelsa
3-Kaduna
2-Oyo
2-Delta
2-Nasarawa
1-Ondo
1-Kebbi11:50pm 30th April- 1932 confirmed cases of #COVID19 in Nigeria
Discharged: 319
Deaths: 58 pic.twitter.com/CIZtojz5UR— NCDC (@NCDCgov) April 30, 2020
As at April 30 2020, 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Nigeria have recorded at least one confirmed case of #COVID19
71% of all cases are from three states#TakeResponsibility pic.twitter.com/fvTHjT4f7T
— NCDC (@NCDCgov) April 30, 2020
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US-Nigerian Doctor Babafemi Taiwo Leading Study On Promising COVID-19 Drug Remdesivir
A US-Nigerian identified as Babafemi Taiwo is leading a major study on an antiviral drug Remdesivir which appears to be effective in treating COVID-19.
CNN interviewed Babafemi Taiwo to discuss the result of Remdesivir in treating Coronavirus. Preliminary results of Remdesivir show it can help hospitalized COVID-19 patients recover faster.
Though Remdesivir, an antiviral drug made by Gilead Sciences, appears to help patients with coronavirus recover faster, it does not significantly reduce death.
New data from a preliminary trial suggests that the drug remdesivir has a positive effect on coronavirus recovery.
"Everything that we've seen so far gives a lot of optimism and hope," says Dr. Babafemi Taiwo, who is leading part of the study on the drug. https://t.co/ZpOyuVK0Fs pic.twitter.com/jxrtMxYmiO
— CNN (@CNN) April 29, 2020
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NCDC chairman reveals that Lagos state is struggling with bed spaces
The Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) says it is currently “struggling” for bed spaces for the treatment of COVID-19 patients in Lagos state which has the highest number of persons infected.
There are 947 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Lagos alone and 187 of these patients have been discharged after recovering from the disease.
Speaking the briefing of the presidential task force on COVID-19 on Thursday, Chikwe Ihekweazu, director-general of NCDC, said efforts are being made to change strategy in order not to allow the inadequate bed spaces affect the fight against coronavirus.
DG @NCDCgov, @Chikwe_I: Nigeria now has 3,500 bed spaces for #Covid19 (across the country),but specifically in Lagos we‘re already struggling. So we‘re going to work with them to make more spaces available. We may also have to start considering home care in certain circumstances.
— Covid-19 Presidential Task Force (PTF) | Nigeria (@DigiCommsNG) April 30, 2020
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WHO says there are 102 potential Covid-19 vaccines in the works worldwide
The World Health Organization (WHO) says 102 potential Covid-19 vaccines are in development around the world, according to CNN.
Eight of the potential vaccines are approved for clinical trials. That is up from seven vaccines four days ago. The additional group is from China, but it is unclear if they have started trials on human study subjects. China’s vaccine clinical trial request was accepted on Thursday as the WHO only had seven vaccine requests four days ago.
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FG directs civil servants from level 14 to resume Monday
The Federal Government has ordered civil servants in the country to resume duties effective Monday, May 4. This was contained in a memo signed on Thursday by the Head of Service of the Federation, Folasade Yemi-Esan.
In the memo directed to all heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, the HoS said the workers would be allowed to work three times in a week and closing time would be 2 pm.
She stressed the observance of social distancing, use of face masks, hand sanitizers, and good general hygiene at all government offices while noting that all Federal Secretariats have been decontaminated and efforts were ongoing to do the same in other public offices.
NOTICE | Office of the Head of Service of the Federation:
Partial Resumption of Duties by Officers on Grade Level 14 and Above and those on Essential Duties pic.twitter.com/eZWEYcYSHO
— Government of Nigeria (@NigeriaGov) April 30, 2020
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FG says coronavirus curable as infected health workers hit 113
The Federal Government yesterday said the successful treatment and discharge of 307 persons for COVID-19 in the country was an indication that the virus is curable. It, however, regretted the 51 deaths that had been recorded. It urged Nigerians not to escalate the spread of the disease by adhering to extant medical advisories.
This comes as the number of medical workers infected by the ailment hit 113. The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, who stated this yesterday at the briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, observed that the recovery rate is 95 percent or more, hence no need for stigmatization or fear by people to hide or seek alternative treatment. He implored those with symptoms to come out for tests and overcome all inhibitive fears.
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Relaxing social distancing too soon will lead to unnecessary deaths, says Bill Gates
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates warned tonight that relaxing social distancing policies too soon would lead to unnecessary deaths and future peaks in US states that are moving too quickly to return to normal life.
“Because people are going to go back to more association in some places in the country it’s very likely that there’ll be future peaks as well,” Gates said, speaking at CNN’s global town hall.
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Brazil’s President Bolsonaro says he’s ignoring WHO Coronavirus directives because the organization promotes ‘masturbation’ for children under the age of four
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro declared on social media he refuses to follow directives on social distancing from the World Health Organisation because it promotes ‘masturbation’ in children under four.
In a bizarre Facebook post, which has been subsequently removed from his profile page on the social media platform, Bolsonaro cited an obscure guide about sex education to question the WHO’s authority on coronavirus.
According to Daily Mail, Bolsonaro, ranted online about the WHO’s alleged recommendation children under four derive ‘satisfaction and pleasure upon touching their own body *masturbation*’.
He used this and other tenuous references to make his case the global agency is in no position to direct him on the best way to curb the spread of COVID-19.
