NCDC: COVID-19 spreading fast in Nigeria with mild symptoms

The Director General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, says the coronavirus pandemic is spreading fast among Nigerians with mild symptoms in some victims and severe illnesses and death in others.

Ihekweazu disclosed this on Monday in Abuja at the joint national briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.

Many victims had continued to experience fatigue and other symptoms even after recovery, he added.

The NCDC said in the last four weeks, the country had recorded a spike in the number of new COVID-19 cases.

Ihekweazu said, “We have now reported over 100,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nigeria and this is a stark reminder of the reality we live in now.

“A virus that has affected over 100,000 lives and led to over 1,300 deaths within 11 months in Nigeria, with millions more globally.

“We cannot be too careful. The silent face of COVID-19 with which you cannot tell whether someone has the virus or not, the only option before us is to take protective measures at all times.”

Ihekweazu said healthcare workers needed to maintain a higher index of suspicion for COVID-19, adding, “We are rolling out the use of rapid diagnostic test kits in five institutions in Abuja.

“This will increase access to testing and we then intend to roll out across the country in February. This will make testing a lot more available to hospitals.”

The NCDC boss pointed out that there was no state that was spared of COVID-19, noting, “We would have been surprised if there were, as our data suggest that we were right in saying that there is COVID-19 circulating in every state of Nigeria and we all have to continue the hard work we have been doing.”

The NCDC boss said the country had reached “a critical level“ where the hospital capacity would no longer be able to cope with more serious COVID-19 cases and health workers would be forced to make tough decisions.

Ihekweazu said, “We need to protect our more vulnerable citizens, while we all have to take responsibility because this has gone beyond the NCDC, PTF or government, as all hands must be on deck.”