No new case of coronavirus in Nigeria – FG

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Dr. Osagie Ehanire, Nigeria's Minister of Health.

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Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, has said that there is no new confirmed case of coronavirus (covid-19) in the country.

The minister, who stated this at a press briefing, Monday in Abuja, said that about 14 tests have been done and are all negative except the one case that has been diagnosed.

He said “As of the 1st of March, there is no new confirmed case in Nigeria.”

According to him, since the confirmation of the virus in the country, the focus has been on containment, including contact tracing to risk and management of the case.

On the flight that brought the index case, Ehanire said ports health services and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) have been supporting both Lagos and Ogun state government to carry out contact tracing and other response activities.

“Currently the contacts of the index case are identified as 19 contacts in Lagos, 39 contacts in Ogun state. We are in touch with these contacts who are under supervised self-isolation and the states have provided them with temperature monitoring tools.

“The multi sectoral emergency centre is led by NCDC and was activated on 28th January, 2020 and it continues to coordinate national response activities. At state level, both Lagos and Ogun have activated their EOC’s also.

“We have also deployed national rapid response teams from NCDC who are working closely with all the states. Over the past few days NCDC have updated guidelines for health workers and advisory for the public.”

He further stated that there is a brand new state of the art emergency unit that is under construction in Gwagwalada, Abuja, which is not yet completed but should be ready by April.

“In the meantime, we are using a brand new ICU there which has been equipped and has everything ready but it’s also going to benefit from the provision the NCDC is using.

“The equipment at the airport are modern equipment, they are passive scanners that you don’t even know your temperature is being taken when you walk past them there is a camera facing you. There is someone observing the screen and if you happen to have a high temperature you will see some one step in front of you and invite you politely for secondary screening.

“Some people walk past the scanner without knowing their temperature was taken because they are used to the pistol type of scanner that is pointed at the forehead to take temperature. It is still in use in some other countries but in reality you are being passively screened and your temperature if its abnormal will be picked up immediately. That is for international arrivals.

“Any other equipment we may need will be listed by NCDC and will be procured.”

The minister urged Nigerians to focus on the facts and not on fear, adding that they should not generate panic.

He also cautioned on abuse of social media and spreading of misinformation that cause fear and panic.

Speaking on Plateau State, Ehanire informed that the state government reported four suspected cases among Chinese nationals on the 29th of February. He however stated that none of the four cases have any symptoms, noting that they have been tested by the NCDC reference laboratory and are all negative of Coronavirus infection.

According to him, the state has placed them under supervised self-isolation for 14 days.

“As at 1st march 2020, there have been a total of 87,137 confirmed cases, 95 per cent are inside China, 2977 deaths across 59 countries which are affected.

“There are three countries affected in Africa; Egypt, Algeria and Nigeria. There is ongoing community transmission mainly in five countries; China, Korea, Japan, Italy and Iran,” said Ehanire.

He reiterated the need for everyone to regularly and thoroughly wash hands with soap or use alcohol based sanitiser to wash hands, respiratory hygiene and keep distance with anyone coughing or sneezing.

Speaking further, Ehanire said the doctors particularly handling the coronavirus patient said he is stable and that his condition appears to be a mild one.

“Scientific evidence we are seeing now is that not all corona infections run the same way; some runs without infections, there are others who are infected and you see a slight headache, cough or fever and there are others who fall critically ill.

“It is knowledge that is still being gathered but the present assumption is that even the majority of people infected with coronavirus infection do not have symptoms or have only mild symptoms in such a way that probably you don’t diagnose it.”

On funds, he said “government has provided the money that was asked for so there is no financial problem. The NCDC has begun the processes of procurements to meet the needs that are arising due to this particular disease that has entered the country and also to fill gaps of what it projects to be the need.

On the taxi driver that picked the Italian, the minister said he has been identified and under supervision. “He is going to be monitored in the next 14 days as well all the 19 people in Lagos and 39 people in Ogun state who have been in contact with him.

“They are all in self isolation at their homes, the airline that brought him has been notified of the patient and have been advised to put their crew also under observation.”


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