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President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday signed the Covid-19 Regulations, 2020, which declared Covid-19 a dangerous infectious disease. President Buhari The President’s spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, confirmed the development in a statement in Abuja.
He said President Buhari’s action was in exercise of the powers conferred on him by Sections 2, 3 and 4 of the Quarantine Act (CAP Q2 LFN 2004), and all other powers enabling him in that behalf. ”The Regulations, effective March 30, 2020,
FG to convert Tuberculosis testing machines to COVID-19, says Minister
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THE Federal Government said it had concluded arrangements to convert tuberculosis’ diagnostic machines in the country coronavirus’ detection machines.
This came as retired health workers recalled by the federal government to assist in combating the disease reported for duties. Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, who disclosed this speaking at a press briefing held by the Presidential Task Force on Coronavirus,to update the nation of the state of coronavirus outbreak in the country, said the 300 Gene Xpert machines used for tuberculosis woud be converted to testing COVID-19 detection.
COVID-19: Virologist Urges FG To Expand Virus Test Capacity
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Dr Solomon Chollom, a Jo’s based Virologist, has called on the Federal Government to increase testing capacity for the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak in the country. Chollom made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.
He spoke against the backdrop of revelation by the Director-General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, that Nigeria with a population of about 200 million people was in search of over 5,000 contacts across the country. The expert said that Nigerians cannot rely on the seven testing centres in the country. “So far, it will be convenient to say that less than two per cent of Nigerians have been tested for the virus.
COVID-19: How Materials And Test Kits Donated By Chinese Billionaire Were Distributed
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The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has revealed how the various medical consignments donated by the Chinese billionaire, Jack Ma, were distributed across the various states in the country.
The consignments, according to the NCDC, included 100,000 ordinary face masks, 9,999 overall gowns, 913 face shields, and 20,000 reagents for testing and were distributed to the states based on the number of cases, with the states that have the highest number getting the largest consignment.
COVID-19: NMA cautions FG on planned recall of retired medical personnel
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The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has cautioned the federal government on its planned move to recall retired medical personnel to join existing frontline workforce in the management and treatment of coronavirus (COVID-19) patients in the country.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, had earlier said that the government will recall retired medical personnel as its ‘reserved pool’, to help in the fight against coronavirus disease. The President of the NMA, Dr. Francis Faduyile, while speaking with the Nation, described the move as illogical as retired persons, because of their ages, are more vulnerable and highly susceptible to the infection.
Limited global stocks of two anti-malarial drugs could wreck plans to use the medicines, currently in clinical trials, to treat COVID-19, doctors cautioned on Thursday.
Around the world, countries are expanding access to chloroquine(CQ)and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), which are used to treat malaria and are known to have anti-viral properties. The medicines have shown early promise against the COVID-19 illness in studies in France and China. CQ, which is the less toxic of the two, is also used as an anti-inflammatory to treat conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, purposes it is primarily known for outside the tropics. Writing in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, doctors in Italy – the country hardest hit by COVID-19 – said that limited supply could
The World Health Organisation (WHO), Regional Office for Africa in Brazzaville, Congo, said on Thursday there are now 6,075 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Africa with 214 deaths.
The United Nations health agency gave the update in its regional official twitter account @WHOAFRO in the Congolese capital. It said: “They are 6,075 cases on the African continent, with 214 deaths and 478 recoveries reported.
The Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, and the Medical Guild in Lagos State, yesterday, alleged undue harassment of medical doctors and other health workers in Lagos even as they decried what they described as ‘uncomplimentary’ statement credited to the State Commissioner of Police, CP, Mr. Hakeem Odumosu on the movements of health workers following restriction order to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the country.
In separate statements issued by the state NMA and Medical Guild, they expressed worry at the unsavoury comments by the Lagos CP that Identification Cards were not enough to allow movement of healthcare workers to health facilities in Lagos during the lockdown.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has advised people not to wear face masks unless they are sick with Covid-19 or caring for sick patients. Masks may actually increase coronavirus risk, the executive director of the WHO health emergencies program, Mike Ryan said at a briefing Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday according to the CNN.
“There is no specific evidence to suggest that the wearing of masks by the mass population has any potential benefit. “In fact, there’s some evidence to suggest the opposite in the misuse of wearing a mask properly or fitting it properly,” Mr Ryan said. WHO earlier raised an outcry on global shortages of face masks and protective suits for caregivers hampered by the coronavirus pandemic.
LUTH admits four COVID-19 patients hours after inaugurating isolation centre
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A few hours after the inauguration of a 60-bed isolation centre for Coronavirus (COVID-19) patients, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, says it has admitted four patients with the virus. Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo, the LUTH Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Lagos.
According to him, they are three adults and one child. “They are part of those already confirmed, but staying at home. Now they are under admission. “They are stable and doing very well,” Adeyemo told NAN. NAN recalls that the 60-bed isolation centre for COVID-19 patients was inaugurated by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 led by Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation
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Isolation centre doctors, others lament N30m unpaid allowances
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Doctors treating the over 40 COVID-19 patients at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, have complained about the failure of the Federal Government to pay them their allowances.
The PUNCH learnt on Tuesday that there are five doctors and four nurses, as well as three cleaners working at the isolation centre who are collectively owed over N30m. Our correspondent was informed that due to the sensitive nature of the disease, the government picked and trained the five doctors with a promise to pay them the sum of N50,000 daily while nurses were to be paid N40,000.
A 15-member medical team from China has arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on a chattered Air Peace aircraft.
The medical personnel who landed around 5:15 pm were received by the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr Zhou Pingjian; Executive Director, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, Mr Jacques Liao, senior officials of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health and others. The personnel, who are experts in infectious diseases, respiratory illness, intensive care, cardiology, neurology, general surgery and anesthesiology, were all wearing face masks as they filed
The Lagos State Government has deployed 60 medical personnel and support staff to the newly commissioned 110 bed space isolation centre built at Mobolaji Johnson Stadium, Onikan where seven patients have been placed on admission.
The facility was built, funded and equipped by the management of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) in collaboration with the Lagos state government. The state’s Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, who disclosed this on his Twitter handle @ProfAkinAbayomi on Wednesday said that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu commissioned the centre alongside the Chief Executive Officer of GTBank,
World Health Day: NMA, WHO Nigeria pay tribute to health workers
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The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) Office in Nigeria have applauded the efforts of healthcare professionals in Nigeria especially the frontline health workforce battling the COVID-19 pandemic on the occasion of the 2020 World Health Day.
In it statement on Tuesday in Abuja by its president, Dr. Francis Adedayo Faduyile, the NMA also urged the Federal Government to provide good working environment for all categories of health workers in the country. According to the statement made available to the Daily Times on Tuesday, the NMA stated that the association acknowledged the enormous contributions of nurses and midwives in the health sector and the country to combating COVID-19. In a goodwill message to nurses and midwives in the country to mark this year’s World Health
