Clinical Trials For Possible COVID-19 Treatment Ongoing ― FG
Dr Osagie Ehanire, Minister of Health, said this on Friday in Abuja, at the Presidential Taskforce (PTF) briefing on COVID-19 in the country.
Ehanire said that all efforts would not be effective if Nigerians do not cooperate with the government.
”Cumulatively, as of April, 3, there are 190 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country.
“The confirmed cases are in 12 states and the FCT. Nigeria had two fatalities and 20 patients have been discharged from treatment,” he said.
According to him, there are 98 cases of coronavirus in Lagos State; 48 in FCT; Osun 20; Oyo 8, Akwa Ibom five; Edo, Kaduna and Ogun, four each; Bauchi three; Enugu and Ekiti two each, while Rivers and Benue have one each.
“We are already seeing what may be indications of sustained community transmission in the sense that 30 per cent of the cases have incomplete epidemiological information, while 51 per cent were imported cases and 19 were contacts of known cases.
“We are using the small window of opportunity remaining to intensify investigations to identify cases and their sources.
“This is one of the purposes for which the lockdown of two states and the FCT was proclaimed by the President. These areas, especially Lagos as primary epicentre, but also other parts of the federation, need to speed up their activities to detect and isolate COVID-19 patients.
“During and following the lockdown, we expect to see an increase in cases as a measure of improvement in case finding. If social distancing and other measures are adhered to, the incidence of positives cases can be controlled,” he said.
The minister said that the NCDC tested nearly 3,000 samples so far in the country and the centre is working hard to scale up their capacity in a targeted approach.
