The longest viability period of the Coronavirus (COVID-19)
patient would be 10 days, according to a new study by infectious
diseases experts in Singapore.
The Director-General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control
(NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, disclosed this at the Presidential
Task Force (PTF) media briefing on Wednesday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that the Singapore study
shows that COVID-19 patients are no longer infectious after 11 days
of getting sick even though some may still test positive.
“A positive test “does not equate to infectiousness or viable
virus,” a joint research paper by Singapore’s National Centre for
Infectious Diseases and the Academy of Medicine Singapore said.
The virus “could not be isolated or cultured after day 11 of
illness.”
The paper was based on a study of 73 patents in the
city-state.
Ihekweazu said that the health agency’s strategy on managing
COVID-19 patients was guided by the latest local and international
clinical scientific evidence, and the NCDC would evaluate if the
latest evidence could be incorporated into its patient clinical
management plan.
The DG said in line with this latest findings, the health agency
would release a new case management guidelines for COVID-19 to
review criteria for admission and discharge of patients.
He noted that the move would assist in managing challenges faced
in isolation centres across the country, particularly with the
shortage of bed space.
“We are now relooking our practice in terms of discharge
criteria, and even who to keep in hospital, and who can stay at
home and for how long.
“Right now, the entire case management team which includes our
colleagues at the Federal Ministry of Health, NCDC and few
clinicians are reviewing our case management guidelines to redefine
our approach around admission in terms of who is admitted and
duration of admission and when to discharge,” he stated.
Ihekweazu, however, said the new guidelines would be released
soonest to assist the country better tackle the virus.
“If we are able to do this successfully, it will have good
implications on the duration of time people spend in hospital and
when they can be discharged.
“That will enable us bring in people more frequently, it will
ease up some of the bed space and help us in some of the practical
challenges we have.”
Nigeria currently has a total of 8,344 infections as the centre
has scaled up the number of testing laboratories.
NAN reports that the health agency announced the activation of
two new laboratories for inclusion in the NCDC Molecular Laboratory
Network.
“Afriglobal Medicare Laboratory in Ogun State and the Sahel
Centre for Molecular Diagnostics and Research, Katsina State.
“This brings the total number of laboratories with COVID-19
testing capacity to 28 in the country. (NAN)
The longest viability period of the Coronavirus (COVID-19)
patient would be 10 days, according to a new study by infectious
diseases experts in Singapore.
The Director-General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control
(NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, disclosed this at the Presidential
Task Force (PTF) media briefing on Wednesday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that the Singapore study
shows that COVID-19 patients are no longer infectious after 11 days
of getting sick even though some may still test positive.
“A positive test “does not equate to infectiousness or viable
virus,” a joint research paper by Singapore’s National Centre for
Infectious Diseases and the Academy of Medicine Singapore said.
The virus “could not be isolated or cultured after day 11 of
illness.”
The paper was based on a study of 73 patents in the
city-state.
Ihekweazu said that the health agency’s strategy on managing
COVID-19 patients was guided by the latest local and international
clinical scientific evidence, and the NCDC would evaluate if the
latest evidence could be incorporated into its patient clinical
management plan.
The DG said in line with this latest findings, the health agency
would release a new case management guidelines for COVID-19 to
review criteria for admission and discharge of patients.
He noted that the move would assist in managing challenges faced
in isolation centres across the country, particularly with the
shortage of bed space.
“We are now relooking our practice in terms of discharge
criteria, and even who to keep in hospital, and who can stay at
home and for how long.
“Right now, the entire case management team which includes our
colleagues at the Federal Ministry of Health, NCDC and few
clinicians are reviewing our case management guidelines to redefine
our approach around admission in terms of who is admitted and
duration of admission and when to discharge,” he stated.
Ihekweazu, however, said the new guidelines would be released
soonest to assist the country better tackle the virus.
“If we are able to do this successfully, it will have good
implications on the duration of time people spend in hospital and
when they can be discharged.
“That will enable us bring in people more frequently, it will
ease up some of the bed space and help us in some of the practical
challenges we have.”
Nigeria currently has a total of 8,344 infections as the centre
has scaled up the number of testing laboratories.
NAN reports that the health agency announced the activation of
two new laboratories for inclusion in the NCDC Molecular Laboratory
Network.
“Afriglobal Medicare Laboratory in Ogun State and the Sahel
Centre for Molecular Diagnostics and Research, Katsina State.
“This brings the total number of laboratories with COVID-19
testing capacity to 28 in the country. (NAN)