The Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 has said the use of face masks in public places is now optional, while the decision on the final relaxation of measures will be taken after Easter. Head of the Technical Secretariat, who also doubles as the Secretary of the PSC on COVID-19, Dr. Muktar Muhammed, disclosed this in an interview with The PUNCH in Abuja.

The PSC also announced that it would stop demanding proof of PCR tests from fully vaccinated travellers. “We are easing up restrictions, but it’s important we do so responsibly. Last week, we suspended the limit placed on public gatherings, curfews and other social measures.

A new study conducted in the United States has confirmed that eating two or more avocados weekly reduces the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases like coronary heart disease and stroke. The research work, which took 30 years, was on Wednesday published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

The team of researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, said it was the first and largest study to support the positive association between higher avocado consumption and lower cardiovascular events.

The Nigerian Medical Association has expressed sadness over the death of Dr. Chinelo Nwando Megafu, who was killed during an attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train on Monday. Dr. Megafu was reported to have died hours after she made a post on Twitter, announcing that she had been shot on the train.

The association in a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Aniekeme Uwah, noted that its president, Professor Innocent Ujah, described Megafu’s death as “tragic, horrific and preventable”.

A study carried out by researchers from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, has revealed that some lubricants dubbed ‘fertility friendly’ pose serious danger to sperm and can adversely affect conception. They warned that it can reduce motility, which is the ability of the sperm to swim in the right direction.

The over 10 months study was recently published in the peer-reviewed, International Journal of Gynaecology & Obstetrics. The researchers said they compared the effectiveness of five different lubricants namely Optilube, Pre-Seed, Yes Baby, olive oil and egg white on sperm motility.

Three different studies carried out by a team of researchers have suggested that drinking two to three cups of coffee daily can lower the risk of heart disease and prolong life. Findings from the studies are expected to be presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 71st Annual Scientific Session. The 3-day programme will be held in Washington, DC, from April 2.

In a report published on EurekAlert, a science-based website managed by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the researchers said their analyses provided reassurance that coffee may actually be heart protective.

A Public Health expert, Professor Tanimola Akande, says identifying the type or species of the snake that had bitten a person will help to decide on a specific course of treatment. He noted that providing such information will help in determining the anti-snake venom to be used, especially if the bite was from a venomous snake.

Speaking in an interview with PUNCH HealthWise, Prof. Akande, who is a former National Chairman, Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria, said after a snake bite, a victim need to wash the area with soap and water, and to keep the place still and lower than the heart.

A Consultant Rheumatologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Dr. Hakeem Olaosebikan, said people with lupus can live long and lessen the burden of the disease by following their prescribed treatment plans.

Dr. Olaosebikan also said 80 to 90 per cent of persons with the condition can live a normal life if they do not skip their medications, attend regular basic follow-up visits and lessen lupus flares. According to Mayo Clinic, lupus is a disease that occurs when the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues and organs (autoimmune disease).

A Nigerian and founder of Value Female Network, Dr. Costly Aderibigbe has been elected as the Executive Secretary of Global Youth Consortium against Female Genital Mutilation under the joint programme of the United Nations Population Fund and United Nations Children Fund.

The position, which is the apex seat of the consortium, was keenly contested by Aderibigbe and a Senegalese, Hyaceinthe Coly. Following her election, Coly would now act as deputy to Aderibigbe.

A team of researchers from Minnesota, United States, said they have successfully developed a non-hormonal male contraceptive that can be safely used to prevent pregnancies.  According to the scientists, the birth control pill for men was found to be 99 per cent effective in preventing pregnancies when it was tested on mice.

Though the contraceptive was yet to be tested on humans, the team said they hope to start human clinical trials by the second half of the year. According to Sky News, the finding, which was described as a breakthrough research, was presented at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society on Wednesday.

Stuart Middleton, a 46-year old, living in Scotland, United Kingdom, has expressed shock after discovering that he now carries four kidneys after undergoing two major operations.

According to him, “I was shocked and surprised when I found out. I had no idea they had left the old kidneys inside me too,” Stuart, who had thought that the failed ones would be removed, told BBC in an interview. According to the BBC, Stuart had suffered migraines and stomach pain for ten years before he discovered he had Berger’s disease.