“This discharge criteria from clinical care will also take into account the patient’s condition, disease experience and other factors.”
was based on emerging scientific evidence that shedding of live virus is not viable after about 10 days.
Ihekweazu, in answer to The Guardian inquiry, said because Nigeria is dealing with a pandemic caused by a new virus, there is need to continually review strategies based on emerging scientific evidence. “Please, wash your hands frequently with soap and running water, wear a face mask when outdoors and in public settings, avoid contact with sick people, maintain a distance of at least two metres between yourself and the next person.”
On the NCDC’s target of increasing daily sample testing to 4,000, Ihekweazu said: “At the moment, we are testing an average of 1,500 samples daily across the country. The debate on whether patients who do not show symptoms or show only mild symptoms can transmit the virus to other people was fueled early this week by the comment by a WHO official that: “It is very rare for asymptomatic patients to transmit the disease.”An asymptomatic person is someone with COVID-19 who does not have symptoms and never develops symptoms. Both scientists clarified that it is not the same as someone who later develops symptoms, who would be classified as pre-symptomatic.
“Asymptomatic patients are primarily isolated to prevent transmission of the virus, especially to their loved ones.” “We need to be patient with WHO and scientists working very hard to know more about COVID-19 through research, including the immunology clinical trials and vaccine trials. It is unfortunate that too much pressure is being put on WHO and that appears to be why it may have been inconsistent in many of the guidelines developed. It is important that we wait for new findings on COVID-19.”
The first published study on how the first 32 patients with coronavirus in Nigeria were treated showed that 75 per cent of them presented in moderately severe condition, while 16 per cent were asymptomatic. The most common presenting symptoms amounted to 59 per cent and dry cough constituted 44 per cent.
He said the implications on the recovery process would be minimal if the patients can effectively comply with medical advice of bed rest, continuation of any subsequent or necessary medications and general advice medically handed out during the process of recovery at home, noting: “I believe that as the patients are being discharged, the authorities would have also set up necessary follow-up routines in case of an unlikely relapse.
Current Director General of NIMR, Prof. Babatunde Salako, added: “I don’t believe any isolation centre will discharge a patient yet to recover, but an asymptomatic patient can be managed at home in self-isolation. This is becoming necessary as many cases are now being detected, with little spaces for admission.”
Nigeria Latest News, Nigeria Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
I had malaria, not COVID-19 - Ondo journalist refutes NCDC claims - Daily Post NigeriaAn Ondo based journalist who was reported to have contracted COVID-19 has denied being infected by the deadly coronavirus. The 33-year-old journalist who
Read more »
NCDC rates COVID-19 test lab in Akwa Ibom very highThe Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, has rated very high the newly opened molecular diagnostic laboratory constructed by the Akwa Ibom state government for running of coronavirus tests. Th…
Read more »
Governors want powers of president, NCDC on HB 836 reviewed“Finally, while cautioning on certain human rights violations in the proposed bill, governors also highlighted potential contraventions of the Nigerian constitution.” Nigeria NCDC
Read more »
Infectious Diseases Bill gives me excessive powers, says NCDC bossIhekweazu re-echoed the observations of other health stakeholders that the Bill does not meet human rights stipulations enshrined in the Constitution.
Read more »
COVID-19: States not bringing in enough samples, says NCDCThe Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, on Thursday disclosed that many states across the country....
Read more »
Infectious Disease Control Bill deficient — NCDC, othersThe Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and other stakeholders have described the proposed “Infectious Diseases Control Bill 2020” as deficient in addressing salient issues. This …
Read more »