Osagie Ehanire, Nigeria`s Minister of Health, says that global experience indicates that 45% of persons who test positive for COVID-19 may show no symptoms or are asymptomatic.
The Minister made this statement at the daily Presidential Task Force briefing on COVID-19 where he revealed that the proportion of asymptomatic cases compared to symptomatic cases in Nigeria is 61% to 35%.
“Research also shows that most people who contract the virus develop mild symptoms or do not experience any symptoms at all.
“However, asymptomatic patients may no longer be infectious after 14days, even if PCR test identifies RNA evidence of the virus in them”, said the Honourable Minister.
Ehanire revealed that asymptomatic patients are most infectious and can transmit the virus even if they do not look or feel ill, and sometimes, the Minister said such patients can be trivialized even by healthcare workers. This situation, he said, may explain the initial relatively high rate of infections among the health workers.
Ehanire also disclosed that the grievances of the National Association of Residents Doctors (NARD) are being addressed.
“On the issue of welfare and allowances to frontline health workers, conversations have been held with the Ministry of Finance, agencies, and health-related associations. Complaints on availability of PPEs have been addressed with the supply of materials to States and Federal Medical Centers.
“The disengaged Resident Doctors at the University of Jos Teaching Hospital have been recalled by the Board of Governors. The Federal Government has been working hard to resolve the grievances that the health workers may be harboring”, he added.
The Minister therefore appealed to the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to call a truce and show understanding and reciprocate Government’s efforts; assuring them that all their grievances will be addressed.
Also, the Minister said that the Ministry had been planning for targeted community sensitization activities in 20 high-burden Local Government Areas across the country, noting that workshop in infection prevention and control of COVID-19 for healthcare workers of public and private hospitals is also to carry out in the FCT.
Ehanire also disclosed that the reforms for guidelines to make operational, the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) “is almost ready and will be revealed after the presentation to stakeholders.
