..As Benue index case finally agrees to undergo final
test
The Federal Government on Friday said medical teams have been
dispatched to Sokoto and Borno states on fact-finding and support
missions over the rising cases and unrelated deaths in the two
states.
The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, made this disclosure at
the daily briefing of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19.
He explained that the medical team will engage with the state
authorities and determine material and technical needs.
“A most immediate probability is the prioritization of these
states for the deployment of repurposed Gene Xpert machines as soon
as we start receiving the cartridges in a few weeks to bring speed
to testing,” Ehanire said.
According to him, the situation in Kano has largely stabilized,
attributing it to the good working relationship between the
visiting team and Kano State Task force on COVID-19.
Ehanire said, “One manifestation of this being the high number
of new cases recorded daily from the fact that all labs in Kano are
now functioning and clearing the sample backlog, with over 350
tests done daily. The state government has been doing well in
opening up more treatment and Isolation centers.”
The minister explained that part of the mission in Kano is to
assist state pathologists and scientists to unravel the mysteries
around unexplained deaths in some states and that the tools for
forensic investigation have been jointly developed for a uniform
approach and balanced results.
He said, “An innovation of the FMoH Kano task team is the
training of journalists to take place tomorrow (Saturday), the aim
of which is to ensure reporters are in a better position to
interpret covid-19 related data and information and also learn to
take necessary infection prevention measures.”
Ehanire also said that the government was able to persuade Mrs.
Susan Idoko-Okpe, now popularly known as the ‘Benue Lady’, to allow
a test sample to be taken to the laboratory for testing on Thursday
and that the result is being awaited any time now and it will be
given to her in person.
The minister, however, said that, while patients may disclose
their result by themselves, the FMoH cannot do so, except with the
permission of those concerned.
Ehanire added that 193 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in the
past day in 15 states with Lagos(58), Kano(46), Jigawa(35), Yobe
(12), FCT(nine), Ogun(seven), Plateau(five), Gombe(five) Imo(four),
Edo(three), Kwara(three), Borno(three), Bauchi (one), Nasarawa
(one), Ondo(one), bringing the total number of confirmed cases in
Nigeria over the 5,000 line to 5,162 in 34 States and the FCT.
“Till date, 1180 patients have been treated and discharged from
hospital care and 167 deaths have sadly been recorded. The case
gender ratio remains about 70 to 30 percent for men and women
respectively, while case fatality hovers around 3 percent.
“A steady rise in these figures is what we envisage with more
diligent testing, treatment, Isolation and tracing. Ability and
capacity to keep up and align these activities with each other will
determine the course of events as time goes on. We implore States
and partners not to relent, but to keep up with the pace, which, in
some States will increase well before it begins to decrease.
“Adherence to advisory against interstate travel and compliance
with other simple measures like use of masks and avoiding crowds
will significantly mitigate the burden,” the minister said.
He said that a strategy document of National Primary Healthcare
Development Agency is being developed and repurposed for
application to Kano; but also to similar high density, high burden
metropoles like Lagos and othei to respond more specifically to the
challenges of COVID-19 tracing, tracking, testing, Isolation and
treatment in congested communities.
..As Benue index case finally agrees to undergo final
test
The Federal Government on Friday said medical teams have been
dispatched to Sokoto and Borno states on fact-finding and support
missions over the rising cases and unrelated deaths in the two
states.
The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, made this disclosure at
the daily briefing of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19.
He explained that the medical team will engage with the state
authorities and determine material and technical needs.
“A most immediate probability is the prioritization of these
states for the deployment of repurposed Gene Xpert machines as soon
as we start receiving the cartridges in a few weeks to bring speed
to testing,” Ehanire said.
According to him, the situation in Kano has largely stabilized,
attributing it to the good working relationship between the
visiting team and Kano State Task force on COVID-19.
Ehanire said, “One manifestation of this being the high number
of new cases recorded daily from the fact that all labs in Kano are
now functioning and clearing the sample backlog, with over 350
tests done daily. The state government has been doing well in
opening up more treatment and Isolation centers.”
The minister explained that part of the mission in Kano is to
assist state pathologists and scientists to unravel the mysteries
around unexplained deaths in some states and that the tools for
forensic investigation have been jointly developed for a uniform
approach and balanced results.
He said, “An innovation of the FMoH Kano task team is the
training of journalists to take place tomorrow (Saturday), the aim
of which is to ensure reporters are in a better position to
interpret covid-19 related data and information and also learn to
take necessary infection prevention measures.”
Ehanire also said that the government was able to persuade Mrs.
Susan Idoko-Okpe, now popularly known as the ‘Benue Lady’, to allow
a test sample to be taken to the laboratory for testing on Thursday
and that the result is being awaited any time now and it will be
given to her in person.
The minister, however, said that, while patients may disclose
their result by themselves, the FMoH cannot do so, except with the
permission of those concerned.
Ehanire added that 193 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in the
past day in 15 states with Lagos(58), Kano(46), Jigawa(35), Yobe
(12), FCT(nine), Ogun(seven), Plateau(five), Gombe(five) Imo(four),
Edo(three), Kwara(three), Borno(three), Bauchi (one), Nasarawa
(one), Ondo(one), bringing the total number of confirmed cases in
Nigeria over the 5,000 line to 5,162 in 34 States and the FCT.
“Till date, 1180 patients have been treated and discharged from
hospital care and 167 deaths have sadly been recorded. The case
gender ratio remains about 70 to 30 percent for men and women
respectively, while case fatality hovers around 3 percent.
“A steady rise in these figures is what we envisage with more
diligent testing, treatment, Isolation and tracing. Ability and
capacity to keep up and align these activities with each other will
determine the course of events as time goes on. We implore States
and partners not to relent, but to keep up with the pace, which, in
some States will increase well before it begins to decrease.
“Adherence to advisory against interstate travel and compliance
with other simple measures like use of masks and avoiding crowds
will significantly mitigate the burden,” the minister said.
He said that a strategy document of National Primary Healthcare
Development Agency is being developed and repurposed for
application to Kano; but also to similar high density, high burden
metropoles like Lagos and othei to respond more specifically to the
challenges of COVID-19 tracing, tracking, testing, Isolation and
treatment in congested communities.