Over 40 health workers in the frontline of tackling the COVID-19 pandemic have tested positive to the killer virus while a good number have been quarantined in the last two weeks due to exposure, Osagie Ehanire, minister of health, disclosed on Thursday at the daily briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja.
Nigeria has 873 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 197 recoveries and 28 deaths as at 6:00pm on Thursday.
With the rising number of positive cases of COVID-19 in the country, the Federal Government once again appealed to Nigerians not to stigmatise patients.
Ehanire assured health workers that government would continue to provide them with the necessary PPEs but urged them to take all necessary precautions for their own safety, remain vigilant in the line of duty and maintain a high index of suspicion for COVID-19.
He warned health workers not to treat any patient without using adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and insisted that frontline health workers must undertake refresher course on continuous professional training.
The minister said the strategy adopted by Nigeria to treat COVID-19 is to admit all persons who test positive for the virus into designated accredited treatment facilities to contain its spread and ensure prompt management to forestall complications.
“I urge all individuals who test positive for COVID-19 to report at any of our designated isolation and treatment centres. The FMoH must be able to account for all infected persons and ascertain containment of the infection,” Ehanire said.
“States are strongly encouraged to ensure that all persons who test positive for COVID-19 are admitted at the designated centres and ensure the public suffers no hazard from choices individuals make. The Federal Ministry of Health can assist all persons seeking privacy, security and anonymity to find the best treatment,” he said.
Ehanire said contact tracing is key to containing the infection, adding that as persons are confirmed positive for COVID-19, all contacts they had in the preceding 14 days are traced.
“This is a tedious and meticulous activity for which the cooperation of the public is always sought. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has finalised contact tracing guidelines with all states to actively aid case finding,” Ehanire said.
“The other key factor in our response is where capacity is needed after positive testing. It is to isolate and treat all persons found to be positive for COVID-19. Especially challenging are persons who test positive but have mild or no symptoms, but are infectious to others. These persons make up the majority of COVID-19 cases in Nigeria, and must be referred to isolation and treatment centres with accredited infection prevention and control protocols,” he said.
The minister said failure to isolate such persons constitutes a risk to society but also to the individual, since his condition could change suddenly. Infection can persist in the community and transmission continues if such persons continue to mingle in society, he said.
He informed that the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Health and NCDC, has continued to support preparedness and response to COVID-19 in all states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), adding that the Rapid Response Teams are working closely with State Emergency Operations Centre to strengthen operations.
Giving update on testing capacity for COVID-19, Ehanire said NCDC laboratories currently have capacity to test 1,500 samples per day in 13 laboratories across the country. However, 600 samples on average are tested per day because that is all the samples collected and sent for testing, he said.
“Factors implicated in the process may include surveillance sample collection and mode of transportation, which can be improved to increase operational efficiency. This is where a little investment can help. The results of such intensification of efforts can be seen, especially in Lagos where improved logistic management increased sample collection and significantly reduced turn-around time,” Ehanire said.
“As we further increase our testing capacity and accredit more laboratories, an even more robust sample transportation infrastructure will be in place to promptly convey samples to any of the 13 labs activated so far,” he said.
Boss Mustapha, chairman of the PTF on COVID-19 and secretary to the government of the federation, while speaking at the daily briefing, once again appealed to Nigerians to stop stigmatisation of coronavirus patients, describing it as “counter-productive” to government’s efforts.
This is just as government also expressed concern over non-compliance with the extant rules on treatment of COVID-19 patients by private medical practitioners.
Mustapha said the disease does not discriminate on status, creed, tribe or colour and anybody can be infected.
“It is my humble appeal that once you are infected by this disease, you should immediately report to appropriate medical facilities in your own interest and the interest of your loved ones,” Mustapha said.
He asserted that “COVID-19 is not a condition and there is no need to stigmatise anybody”.
“I must remind all of us that over 90 percent of infected persons recover from this disease. In this regard, I urge all those who have recovered from this disease to tell their stories,” he said.
He assured that the PTF has continued to collaborate with the governors in the various states, adding that “the outcome of the conversation with the NGF will form a critical part of the recommendations to be made to Mr. President in the coming days”.
Mustapha, who also spoke on the situation in Kano, noted that it is still being assessed and monitored closely.
“Based on preliminary findings, the PTF has directed the NCDC to send an enhanced support team, mobilise resources for contact tracing and immediately ensure that necessary steps are taken in conjunction with state government to contain the spread of the pandemic in Kano and stop the city from becoming the next epicentre,” he said.
TONY AILEMEN, INNOCENT ODOH, HARRISON EDEH & JAMES KWEN, Abuja
