The coronavirus mutation first found in Britain has now spread to 50 territories, according to the World Health Organisation, while a similar South African-identified strain has now been found in 20. The UN body also noted that a third new coronavirus “variant of concern” found in Japan may impact upon immune response and needs further investigation.

“The more the SARS-CoV-2 virus spreads, the more opportunities it has to change. High levels of transmission mean that we should expect more variants to emerge,” said the WHO. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus which causes Covid-19 disease.

The United Nations Children’s Fund says closure of schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic will impact negatively on the development, safety and wellbeing of children globally, noting that schools are not drivers of the viral disease

UNICEF also warned that the effects of closing school for another year will be felt for generations to come. The agency in a statement on Tuesday maintained that despite overwhelming evidence that schools were not drivers of the pandemic, steps have been taken to ensure that they remained shut.

Association of Resident Doctors, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, says about 20 of its members have been infected with COVID-19 in the last three weeks. President of ARD, Dr. Badmus Habeeb, revealed this on Wednesday, noting that members of the association have been battling the pandemic with the available resources at their disposal.

“About 20 of our members have become infected in the last two to three weeks. “I must reiterate that this is not the best of times for us, our families and the affected patients,” Habeed said. He noted that the discovery of COVID-19 vaccines had brought hope and relief for everyone, especially health care workers.

The Kaduna State Government says it has established 300 nutrition corners in health facilities across 23 local government areas, as part of strategies to fight malnutrition. This was disclosed by the Project Manager, Kaduna State Emergency Nutrition Action Plan, Mr. Umar Bambale, while speaking with journalists on Wednesday in Kaduna.

Earlier last November, the State Nutrition Officer, Mrs. Ramatu Musa, said no fewer than 124 children had died of malnutrition in Kaduna State between January and September, with 15,329 cured of the diseases within the same period.

The Lagos State Government says the bed occupancy at COVID-19 Care centres in Lagos is now about 61 per cent. The State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, disclosed this via his Twitter handle @ProfAkinAbayomi on Wednesday, while giving an update on the state’s COVID-19 status for January 10, 2021.

Abayomi also said the Indo Isolation Centre located in Anthony area of the state has been reactivated to create more bed spaces for severe to critical cases of COVID-19. The Indo Isolation Centre is a 50-bed capacity centre.

The National Primary Health Care Development Agency has urged Nigerians to disregard  rumours, videos and unofficial information about the COVID-19 vaccine. The agency said such unofficial information is misleading.

A public service announcement posted on its Twitter handle @NphcdaNG and signed by the Executive Director of the agency, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, noted that the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is spreading very fast and significantly more transmissible.

The Lagos State University Thursday announced that three students of the state’s University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) tested positive for COVID-19, leading the institution to immediately close down all her hostel facilities.

In a release by the Coordinator, Centre for Information, Press and Public Relations, Lagos State University, Ademola Adekoya, the institution said roommates of the students who tested positive and their associates are being tested.

The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, has once again, assured that Nigeria has the adequate storage capacity to preserve the first 100,000 doses expected from Pfizer in a few days, as well as others on the way.

He revealed this on Monday, noting that the ultracold chain equipment available has over 2,100 litres capacity, while the requirement for the 100,000 Pfizer vaccine coming by the end of January or early February is 500 litres. 

A nutritionist, Dr. Mary Mgbekem, says people must understand their health status before consuming garlic supplements. She noted that the use of garlic supplements may be harmful to health by causing other drugs to be less effective, especially in those with certain health conditions like heart diseases and HIV.

Dr. Mgbekem, who is an Associate Professor, Department of Nursing Science, University of Calabar, Cross River State, stated this during an interview with PUNCH HealthWise. She explained, “The use of supplements for good result cannot be generalised. There are reported concerns about garlic use as supplement for some people, especially those with certain health conditions.

Medical experts have called for strict adherence to the COVID-19 safety protocols, lamenting that the viral infection is presenting with new and strange symptoms. Head of the Department of Genetic Epidemiology and Leader of the COVID-19 symptom study app at King’s College, United Kingdom, Prof. Tim Spector, says health officials are beginning to see new symptoms that call for concern, such as increasing numbers of COVID tongues and strange mouth ulcers.

According to him, many COVID-19 patients are displaying symptoms that vary from those on the official government list.