Chris Bode, Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), has said that most of those dying of Covid-19 complications delayed going to the hospital till very late.
The CMD spoke with journalists on Wednesday, saying this was, however, not to alarm the people, but rather, to alert the public to what is happening.
“The present trend is worrisome and if it continues, it may overturn our capacity before we can ramp up again to catch up.
We have seen an upsurge in the number of people who keep treating malaria instead of going for the Covid-19 test and many start using all sorts of steam isolation and home remedies for their cough and chest congestion.”
The CMD advised it was not helpful to do this, especially if you are also diabetic, hypertensive or with a number of other health issues, or above the age of 60, stating that it may be rather late by the time you are breathless and are rushed to the hospital.
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“The resurgence of Covid- 19 through the newly mutated form is ravaging Nigeria, claiming many lives. Unlike what we witness in the first wave, this one is even more easily transmitted and deadlier too.
“It is therefore imperative for everyone first and foremost to accept that Covid-19 pandemic is not over and we must prepare to confront it all over again, what we see on the streets, worship centres and social interactions, parties and daily activities call for concern,” said Bode.
Meanwhile, according to the Wordometre, Nigeria is among nine Africa countries accounting for 2,384,668 out of 2,895,537 confirmed cases with about 68,872 deaths and 2,388,345 totals recovered as of January 5, 2021
The number of infections in Nigeria has risen dramatically compared to previous weeks. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reported 1,354 infections from 21 states of the country, the previous highest daily tally of 1,204 recorded on Monday.
The latest highest daily tally pushed the total number of infections since the start of the pandemic in the country to 92,705 confirmed cases.
The death tally from the Covid-19 disease in Nigeria increased to 1, 319 and in the past 18 days, there have been 107 recorded deaths from the coronavirus. A total of 76,396 has recovered and 14,990 active cases.
The country has been able to test about 980,046 out of its over 208 million population.
