The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has commended Nigerians for reaching out to solve the shortage of the Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) extraction kits.
Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director General of NCDC gave the commendation on Monday on his verified Twitter handle.
Ihekweazu had on Sunday tweeted: ”We’re desperately looking for more RNA extraction kits as we expand #COVID19 testing.
”Product: Total viral RNA extraction kits (preferably spin column and with a lysis buffer). Manufacturers: Qiagen, ThermoFischer, SeeGene, Inqaba, LifeRiver etc.”
RNA is a polymeric molecule essential in various biological roles in coding, decoding, regulation and expression of genes.
On Monday, Ihekweazu tweeted: ”very grateful to everyone who reached out to solve this challenge with us. Our support to each other, even when done quietly, will enable us pull through. One day, we will tell the story of this response in full. For now, we keep pushing”.
As at April 26, 2020, 91 new confirmed cases and five new deaths were recorded in Nigeria.
Four new states (Ebonyi, Bayelsa, Kebbi and Taraba) have reported confirmed cases in the last 24 hours.
Till date, 1273 cases have been confirmed, 239 cases have been discharged and 40 deaths have been recorded in 32 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The 91 new cases are reported from sixteen states- Lagos (43), Sokoto (8), Taraba (6), Kaduna(5), Gombe (5), Ondo (3), FCT (3), Edo (3), Oyo (3), Rivers (3), Bauchi (3), Osun (2), Akwa Ibom (1), Bayelsa (1), Ebonyi (1), Kebbi (1).
A multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre (EOC), activated at Level three, continues to coordinate the national response activities.
Director General (DG) of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu has posted on his official Twitter handle that Nigeria desperately needs more Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) extraction kits.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Dr Ihekweazu posted the tweet on Sunday as Nigeria’s confirmed cases of COVID-19 continue to shoot beyond the roof on a daily basis.
The extraction kit is part of the recommended diagnostic protocols published by WHO. However, the kits are currently in high demand across the world but in short supply.
Iheakweazu stated that the product it was looking for was a Total viral RNA extraction kits “preferably spin column and with a lysis buffer”
The DG said that the manufacturers should be; Qiagen, ThermoFischer, SeeGene, Inqaba, LifeRiver etc.
He added that for anyone with the above product and manufacturer should reach the agency on; ncdclabnetwork@ncdc.gov.ng.
“We’re desperately looking for more RNA extraction kits as we expand #COVID19 testing. Product: Total viral RNA extraction kits (preferably spin column and with a lysis buffer). Manufacturers: Qiagen, ThermoFischer, SeeGene, Inqaba, LifeRiver etc,” Dr Ihekweazu tweeted.
We’re desperately looking for more RNA extraction kits as we expand #COVID19 testing
Product: Total viral RNA extraction kits (preferably spin column and with a lysis buffer)
Manufacturers: Qiagen, ThermoFischer, SeeGene, Inqaba, LifeRiver etc.
The Director General (DG) of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu has said the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) testing approach being used by Ghana would not be replicated for Nigeria.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Dr Ihekweazu stated this on Thursday during a live media briefing on the regional response to COVID-19 in Africa with the Word Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti and others.
“We have been slow to start but those that understand molecular diagnosis know that it is not a simple thing to do. It is complex so I would rather go a little bit slower and get it right than speed into a situation that we will end up regretting.
“Some managed acceleration is exactly what we are doing with a deliberate strategy on how to scale. Ghana has a different approach to testing. I know exactly what they are doing. I respect what they are doing. But we don’t want to go down that path because it has its limitations.
“I want to assure everyone that we have learnt a lot of lessons from this. One of the biggest ones is that you have to build up your laboratory capacity,” Dr Ihekweazu said.
TNG recalls that Head of Virology at the Noguchi Medical Research Institute, Professor William Ampofo had on Wednesday during a press briefing explained Ghana’s approach to COVID-19 testing.
“We simply pool the samples, meaning that, if you have 1,000 samples, you put them in groups of 10 and you test 100 pools at a time.
“So in a short time, instead of testing 1,000 samples, you test 10,000 samples. This method we are using now was derived in 1945 and this very efficient way we have proceeded,” Professor Ampofo explained.
At the time of filing this report, Ghana ha 1154 confirmed COVID-19 cases with around 70,000 tests while Nigeria has 873 confirmed cases with under 10,000 tests.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has lauded the efforts of Delta Government at containing the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the state.
Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, the Director General of the NCDC gave the commendation on Monday in Asaba, during a working visit to the state.
Ihekweazu, who was accompanied on the visit by Dr. Fiona Braka, the Officer in Charge, World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office, Nigeria, observed that Delta had so far recorded few cases of the pandemic due to its deliberate efforts and urged the state to sustain the efforts.
“We are in the state to get first hand information on the activities and challenges of the Delta State Emergency Operation Committee with a view to providing technical support,” Ihekweazu said.
Earlier, the Delta Commissioner for Health, Dr. Mordi Ononye, expressed the state government’s appreciation to the NCDC for its assitance.
During the visit, the team toured COVID-19 isolation and treatment centers at the Federal Medical Center and Specialist Hospital, both in Asaba.
IIhekweazu told newsmen shortly after the tour that the role of the NCDC was to encourage and support states to curb the spread of the virus.
He added that the NCDC also served and helped the whole country to prepare for the worst situation and at the same time encourage hope for the best.
He said, “Borders are drawn for political reasons in order to provide governance for people and bacteria and viruses don’t recognise such.”
On her part, Dr. Fiona Braka, Officer in Charge, WHO Country Office, Nigeria, appealed to the people to remain vigilant as the risks of the pandemic were still very high.
“We are here to ensure that what is recommended globally is being done; we contextualise it to the country level, looking at capacities and risks.
“We also scale up this process in a manner that the capacity in the country can manage. We are constantly working with the NCDC to see how we can ramp up this process.
“Certainly, Delta State will be among the states that will be critically looked up for testing capacity,” Braka said.
Nigeria is likely to record more cases of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), infections, as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) progressively expands its testing capacity.
Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director-General of NCDC, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), while giving an update on COVID-19 in the country, on Thursday in Abuja.
Ihekweazu said the COVID-19 is a virus that spreads rapidly from person to person and the NCDC measures must be very stringent.
He said that NCDC scaled up its capacity to conduct tests and produce results more quickly as Nigerians demanded.
He said that the NCDC has also expanded the criteria for who should be tested.
The NCDC DG said that the agency initially recommended that testing everyone with symptoms of fever, coughing and difficulty in breathing, but only if they had these symptoms as well as a history of traveling to an area where cases were endemic, or being in close contact with someone who was diagnosed as positive.
Ihekweazu noted that expanding the number of laboratories that could perform COVID-19 testing was critical to getting a more accurate sense of how widespread the virus may be in the country.
He noted that the incubation period for COVID19 was generally two-14 days, adding that NCDC was therefore using the window opportunity of the lockdown in the FCT, Lagos and Ogun States to promptly detect, isolate and effectively treat cases.
“Like any medical test, there has to be a clinical reason to perform the procedure.
“In the case of COVID-19, someone must have symptoms of the disease like fever, coughing and shortness of breath.
“Travel to an area with active transmission of COVID-19 is also a factor, as well as close contact with someone who is sick or had traveled.
“It’s advisable for doctors to test their patients for other respiratory illnesses before submitting a COVID-19 test.
“At present we do not recommend testing for those that do not have symptoms.
“It can take anywhere from two to 14 days for COVID-19 symptoms to develop and until they do the test won’t pick up signs of the disease.
“It is more about making sure that you identify whether someone that has exposure develops disease or not.
“Testing them early on in their incubation period doesn’t help settle that question.
“Even those who have been asked to quarantine often will not be tested until they have symptoms,” he explained.
He noted that the COVID-19 test, which involves a nose or a throat swab, could detect the disease but it cannot tell doctors how severe the case would become.
“We want Nigerians to keep in mind that we have the capacity to test but we want to make sure that those tests are used in the best way possible, at the state and national level we don’t have unlimited supplies.
“We want to focus on individuals who are in a high risk situation,” he noted.
The DG said that Nigerians should continue to think ahead about the actions that they could take to stay healthy and prevent the spread of COVID-19 in country.
He, however said that together, Nigerians could slow the spread of COVID-19 by making a conscious effort to keep a physical distance between each other.
“Physical social distancing is proven to be one of the most effective ways to reduce the spread of illness during an outbreak.
“This means making changes in your everyday routines to minimize close contact with others, including avoiding crowded places and non-essential gatherings, avoiding common greetings, such as handshakes.
“Limiting contact with people at higher risk like older persons and those in poor health, keeping a distance of at least two arms-length approximately two metres from others,” he advised.
He again advised that COVID-19 is a serious health threat, and the situation was evolving daily.
“The risk would vary between and within communities, but given the increasing number of cases in the country, the risk to Nigerians was considered high.
“This does not mean that all Nigerians will get the disease. It means that there is already a significant impact on our health care system.
“If we do not flatten the epidemic curve now, the increase of COVID-19 cases could impact our health care system,” he advised.
After Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) broke out in Nigeria on Thursday 27th February 2020, beginning from Tuesday 17th March, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has continued to churn out figures of confirmed cases almost on a daily basis.
The figures being churn out by the NCDC, while on one hand, give hope, have been judged understated due to testing capacity. On the other hand, when the trend of these figures are contrasted with the trend of the figures reported in countries such as the US, Italy, Spain, where the COVID-19 has worse hit, there are indications that Nigeria’s worst days are here.
10 countries worse hit by COVID-19 (Source: worldometer)
To understand what will happen with COVID-19 in Nigeria in the next 30 days, let’s first critically examine the timeline, what has happened with COVID-19 in the country in the past 30 days, how Nigeria moved from no case to 97 confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Timeline of COVID-19 in Nigeria in past 30 days
As of February 26th, no case of COVID-19 had been confirmed in Nigeria; however, awareness was on.
On February 26th, 11 suspected cases of COVID-19 were tested and all turned negative.
As at 26th Feb 2020, 11 suspect cases of #COVID19 have been tested in Nigeria & all turned negative
We urge the public to disregard & discourage the spread of rumours@NCDCgov continues to monitor the outbreak globally & will inform the public if a case is reported in #Nigeriapic.twitter.com/S0Mp36nDzy
On February 27th, the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire announced the very first confirmed COVID-19 case, an Italian man in Lagos State.
The Honourable Minister of Health has announced a confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID-19) case in Lagos State
The case, which was confirmed on the 27th of February 2020, is the first case to be reported in Nigeria since the beginning of the outbreak in China in January 2020 pic.twitter.com/r6uJfeIUhv
Following the outbreak of the disease in the country, the NCDC activated its National Emergency Operations Centre and began working with Lagos State Ministry of Health to manage the first index case and implement firm control measures.
Nigerians were advised to keep calm, with the Minister of Health saying, the index case patient was “clinically stable, with no serious symptoms, and is being managed at the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba, Lagos”. Identifying and reaching out to possible contacts of the case was done.
From February 28th to March 6th, there was quiet. However, on March 6th, 3 COVID-19 cases were suspected. However, all the three COVID-19 suspected cases, travellers from France, England and China, whose samples were collected for analysis, tested negative and they were discharged.
By March 8th, 23 cases have been suspected in the country. Of the 23 suspected cases of COVID-19, 22 were NEGATIVE and only one was positive as at the 7th of March 2020.
Of the 23 suspected cases of #COVID19 reported so far in Nigeria, 22 were NEGATIVE and only one is positive as at the 7th of March 2020.
The second confirmed case of COVID-19 in Nigeria was confirmed on March 9.
The Honourable Minister @Fmohnigeria has announced a second confirmed case of #COVID19 in Nigeria.
This second case is a contact of the index case, in Ogun state. The new case has been in isolation and was tested as part of our strategy to test all contacts of the index case. pic.twitter.com/aTkzEy3qXo
“The index case of COVID-19 in Nigeria was detected by an astute physician who was aware of our national case definition. The second confirmed case of COVID-19 in Nigeria was detected due to the diligence of our work,” Director General of the NCDC, Chikwe Ihekweazu said on a ChannelsTV programme.
March 13
By March 13th, World Health Organization (WHO) had declared COVID-19 as a pandemic
“The @WHO has now declared #COVID19 as a pandemic. This is a call for action for increased resources to quickly detect and control this outbreak. It is not a time for fear and panic. We are investing resources to strengthen Nigeria’s response”
On this day, the Minister of Health announced the 3rd case of COVID-19 in Nigeria. The case was a Nigerian who returned to Lagos from the UK and developed symptoms during her 14-day self-isolation.
The Honourable Minister @Fmohnigeria has announced the 3rd case of #COVID19 in Nigeria
The case is a Nigerian who returned to Lagos from UK & developed symptoms during her 14-day self-isolation
She is clinically stable & is being treated at Infectious Disease Hospital, Lagos pic.twitter.com/eRKAAx3JzK
March 18th, the Federal Ministry of Health announced 5 new cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria bringing the total number confirmed cases in the country to 8. All 5 cases had a travel history to the UK and the USA.
@Fmohnigeria has announced 5 new cases of #COVID19 in Nigeria bringing the total number confirmed cases in Nigeria to 8
All 5 cases had a travel history to the UK/USA
We urge Nigerians to remain calm as public health response activities are intensified across the country pic.twitter.com/yoKLHXoxhq
March 19th, 4 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Nigeria; a total of 12 confirmed cases in Nigeria.
Today, 4 new cases of #COVID19 were confirmed in Nigeria; a total of 12 confirmed cases in Nigeria
We urge Nigerians to remain calm. Please adhere to recommendations by health authorities including handwashing, self isolation for returning travelers and others pic.twitter.com/WMznwl2UyA
Today, NCDC joined the press briefing convened by the Honourable Minister @Fmohnigeria, @DrEOEhanire to provide updates on #COVID19Nigeria as well as national response activities.
On March 21st, Nigeria recorded the first COVID-19 cases outside Lagos. On this day, the Federal Ministry of Health confirmed 10 new cases of COVID-19. Of the 10 new cases, 3 are in the Federal Capital Territory and 7 are in Lagos. 9 out of the 10 cases had travel history outside Nigeria. The 10th case is a close contact of a confirmed case.
Of the 10 new cases, 3 are in the Federal Capital Territory and 7 are in Lagos
9 out of the 10 cases have travel history outside Nigeria in the last one week. The 10th case is a close contact of a confirmed case pic.twitter.com/Bm557clqL0
Eight new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Nigeria on March 22.
Three new cases of #COVID19 have been confirmed in Lagos, Nigeria
2 cases are returning travellers and 1 is a contact of a confirmed case.
As at 05:28 pm on the 22nd of March, there are 30 confirmed cases of #COVID19 in Nigeria. 2 have been discharged with no deaths. pic.twitter.com/UQVYdkE9Xk
Four new cases of #COVID19 have been confirmed in Nigeria. 3 are in Lagos State and 1 in FCT
Two of these cases are returning travellers
As at 11:00pm on the 23rd of March, there are 40 confirmed cases of #COVID19 in Nigeria. 2 have been discharged with 1 death recorded pic.twitter.com/cR94MO6xnC
Same March 23rd, Nigeria recorded its first COVID-19 death. The case was a 67-year-old male who returned home following medical treatment in UK. The case was later confirmed to be Suleiman Achimugu. He had underlying medical conditions: multiple myeloma and diabetes, and was undergoing chemotherapy.
The 1st #COVID19 death in Nigeria has been recorded. The case was a 67 year old male who returned home following medical treatment in UK
He had underlying medical conditions- multiple myeloma & diabetes & was undergoing chemotherapy
11 new cases of #COVID19 have been reported in Nigeria: 8 in Lagos, 2 in Enugu & 1 in Edo State
As at 11:55pm 27th March, there are 81 confirmed cases of #COVID19 reported in Nigeria. 3 have been discharged with 1 death. pic.twitter.com/7p3v3qAcGM
What the COVID-19 numbers mean for Nigeria in next 30 days
From the 30 day timeline of COVID-19 in Nigeria, a trend could be observed with the curve.
After the first case was confirmed in the country on February 27th, from February 28th to March, the curve remained flat at zero, until a case was confirmed on March 9th and the curve inclined upward.
From March 10th to March 16th, the curve once again maintained flat at zero. However, beginning from March 17th, a continuous upward trend started until March 27th that the curve remained flat at 16 COVID-19 cases.
If the curve remains flat, that is Nigeria averages on 16 new COVID-19 cases on a daily basis, in the next 30 days, COVID-19 cases might be less than 1,000 at the end of April.
However, if the curve continues upward inclination in the next 30 days, especially as NCDC testing capacity improves, the situation would be worse, that is. COVID-19 deaths could hitherto spike.
Meanwhile, it is expected that with the job NCDC is doing, and efforts government is putting in, the curve may go flat or starts downward inclination, even as asymptomatic case heal themselves. Then, declining COVID-19 cases should be expected.
The COVID-19 curve is determined by the number of confirmed cases. All countries target is to maintain COVID-19 flat at zero. To down the curve to zero, it will take efforts of both the government and citizens.
What Nigerians should do to improve on the curve
COVID-19 spread is determined by human activities. Symptoms range from dry cough, sneezing to fever, and adversely, death. There is no known cure, nor is there any vaccine for COVID-19 yet. Treatment options are still undergoing clinical trials. If you must stay alive, prevention is better than cure.
It has been said that the Coronavirus doesn’t move. It moves when humans move. This also means that when humans don’t move, the virus can’t move, and it will die. Therefore, Nigerians should obey stay home orders and observe social distancing when going out for supplies.
It has also been said that the virus lives on some surfaces for as long as 72 hours. Therefore, to shorten the lifespan of the virus, Nigerians have to stick to the advice of frequent hand washing, and cleaning of surfaces with alcohol-based sanitizers and the use of hand sanitizers.
If symptoms such as dry cough, sneezing, fever are observed, seek medical attention, immediately, especially if you just returned from a trip abroad, especially high risk countries.
What government should do to down the curve
The federal government and government at State levels, in one way or the other, have put a handful of measures in place to curtail the spread of COVID-19 in the country. Some of the measures are restriction of movement, stay home orders, shutting down of all borders, ban on all international flights and ban on gatherings of more than 20 people.
Meanwhile, with all the measures in place to curtail the pandemic, government at all levels must understand that, if total lockdown orders are enforced, the social life of the people will be altered, with grave implications. Reeling out orders alone, and forcefully enforcing the orders, at these times, given this situation, therefore, will not hold waters.
It, therefore, bolds on the government to consider social intervention options to make staying at home comfortable for citizens. This will cushion the effects, most times adverse, that come with staying at home. Even, such social intervention will help Nigerians obey stay home orders naturally. Already, the Lagos State Government is working in this direction. Other States Governments should take a cue.
As Nigerians and the government play their roles, well enough, in the face of this COVID-19 pandemic, hopefully in the next 30 days, things will be fine.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has launched a communication campaign with the theme, Take Responsibility and with on call on everyone to take necessary measures as the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation continues to evolve.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the NCDC urged Nigerians to take responsibility in preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the country by practicing regular handwashing, avoiding large gatherings and physical contact, disinfecting surfaces, sharing information from official sources and self-isolation.
All Nigerians are called on to #TakeResponsibility in preventing the spread of #COVID19 in Nigeria Practice & talk to your community about
*Handwashing *Avoiding large gatherings & physical contact *Disinfecting surfaces *Sharing information from official sources *Self-isolation
It is no longer a joke for those who saw it to be so when cases of the pandemic were first reported in the country. The pandemic has resulted in the death of former Managing Director (MD) of the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC), Suleiman Achimugu.
As the COVID-19 pandemic situation continues to evolve in the country, misinformation and disinformation have continued to spread, and Nigerians have been cautioned to verify information before they share or outrightly desist from sharing information when they are not certain of the veracity.
NCDC is a aware of tv screen image circulating of "472 confirmed cases" being attributed to #COVID19
NCDC is currently managing a national #Lassafever outbreak. The figures which appear are reported cases of #Lassafever as at February
“Our biggest source of risk is travelers returning from high risk countries & are expected to self isolate for 14 days. Our appeal to #Nigerians is to #TakeResponsibility & prevent further transmission of the virus. Collective action is critical to control spread,” Director General of the NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu said.
Also, over the last few days, the NCDC has engaged more volunteers at its call centre and expanded the lines in order to automate processes and serve Nigerians better.
Over the last few days, we‘ve engaged more volunteers at @NCDCgov call centre & expanded the lines
We kindly request for understanding if you‘ve any challenges calling us. You can send us a DM as well
We are working very hard to expand our capacity & automate processes
There is no need for panic and fear, as measures taken by governments at all levels, so far, gradually will curtail the COVID-19 pandemic, and Nigerians have been called to play their roles in this.
https://youtu.be/6f-x0K7eC3A
Highlights of COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria
On the 23rd of March 2020, six new confirmed cases of COVID-19 recorded in Nigeria
Till date, thirty-six (36) cases have been confirmed, two cases have been discharged and one death from COVID-19 recorded in Nigeria
Of the five (6) new cases, one (1) is in Edo State, two (2) are in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and two (3) are in Lagos State
The case in Edo State is being treated at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital; cases in the FCT are being treated at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), Gwagwalada; and the cases in Lagos State are being treated at the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH), Yaba. All six (6) new cases have mild to moderate symptoms and are currently receiving treatment.
A multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre (EOC), activated at level 3, continues to coordinate the national response activities
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has said the management of cases of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is the responsibility of State governments and treatment centres.
The NCDC said it will not be commenting on the management of individual cases, and that State governments where cases have been reported, and the treatment centres are doing their best.
“The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) coordinates response activities during large outbreaks. States and treatment centres are primarily responsible for case management, with support and guidance from NCDC. These treatment centres are doing their best under difficult circumstances.
“The NCDC will not provide comments on the management of individual cases. We also ask the public to respect the privacy of individuals and their families who are affected at this time,” Dr. Chikwe lhekweazu, Director General of NCDC said.
Kindly note that NCDC will not be commenting on the management of individual cases.
The management of cases is the responsibility of States and treatment centres and they are doing their best under difficult circumstances. pic.twitter.com/jhwzXVQZmj
Recall that the first death from COVID-19 have been recorded in the country, with the NCDC accused of neglecting the patient.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the first COVID-19 death case in the country was a 67 year old male who returned following a medical procedure in the United Kingdom (UK). He had underlying medical conditions, which the NCDC said are multiple myeloma and diabetes, and was undergoing chemotherapy.
Meanwhile, family members have come out to say Suleiman Achimugu, the former Managing Director (MD) of Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC) died of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
“He got back from UK 2 weeks ago. Started exhibiting symptoms on Tuesday. The family reported to the NCDC. They came to the house and took his blood specimen. They never got back to the family.
“As of yesterday afternoon, he was coughing profusely. So they called the NCDC to inquire about his results. It turned out positive. They picked him up and rushed him to Gwagwalada. He died at 2am this morning. His family are currently under quarantine in their house,” a source revealed.
Abubakar Achimugu, who made a statement on behalf of the family on Monday, said Suleiman died on Sunday.
The statement reads: “Our family is deeply saddened to inform you of the sudden death of our beloved Father, Uncle, Brother and friend. Engr. Suleiman Achimugu (former Md of PPMC).
“He died of COVID 19 on 22/03/2020 some days after he arrived Nigeria from the UK. He was in self isolation upon his return from the UK and personally called NCDC after experiencing some discomfort that are related to COVID 19 symptoms.
“He tested positive and was promptly evacuated to the specialist hospital. He died while recieving treatment.
“We implore the general public to pray upon his soul and the recovery of infected persons .Your thoughts and prayers would be appreciated.
“Please maintain the public social distancing and restriction advice as we all walk through this very difficult time.
“He has since been buried according to Islamic rites.May Allah SWA have mercy on him. Ameen”.
Meanwhile, the NCDC said there are now 36 new cases of COVID-19 in the country.
“On the 23rd of March 2020, six new confirmed cases of COVID-19 recorded in Nigeria.
“Till date, thirty-six (36) cases have been confirmed, two cases have been discharged and one death from COVID-19 recorded in Nigeria
“Of the five (6) new cases, one (1) is in Edo State, two (2) are in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and two (3) are in Lagos State.
“The case in Edo State is being treated at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital; cases in the FCT are being treated at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), Gwagwalada; and the cases in Lagos State are being treated at the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH), Yaba. All six (6) new cases have mild to moderate symptoms and are currently receiving treatment.
“A multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre (EOC), activated at level 3, continues to coordinate the national response activities,” highlights of the pandemic read on the NCDC microsite.
The head of Nigeria’s disease control agency, NCDC, Chikwe Ihekweazu, has said he is on self-isolation and not quarantine as said by the health minister.
TheNewsGuru(TNG) had earlier reported the statement of the health minister, Osagie Ehanire, when he appeared before senators to speak on Nigeria’s preparedness for the coronavirus.
Mr Ehanire said Mr Ihekweazu’s recent trip to China necessitated the ‘quarantine’
However, in his reaction, Mr Ihekweazu said he was only observing the precautionary self-isolation as required of people coming from a high-risk country.
On his Twitter handle, the NCDC chief said he is well and will be continuing his duty from home for the next 14 days.
“I am well and have continued my duties from home since my return from China as part of the WHO-China Mission on COVID19”
He said “the rumour that I am sick or in quarantine is obviously false. I look forward to returning to the office after 14 days of self-isolation.”
Self-isolation is one of the precautionary measures recommended in the NCDC public health advisory for travellers from countries with ongoing transmission of Covid-19.
It advised that such people should proceed on 14 days self-isolation whether well or unwell.
The NCDC in a statement Tuesday evening further explained its principal’s trip to China.
According to the statement released by the health agency, Mr Ihekweazu was one of the 25 national and international experts deployed to China by the WHO between February 16 and 24.
The mission met with counterparts in China to understand their response to COVID-19 and how global communities can learn from it
“The Director-General is adhering to the protocol to protect himself and public.
“He has been tested his return, since his return, and has since shown no symptoms of the Covid-19 infection. He remains in good health,” the agency said.
Mr Ihekweazu had earlier tweeted two day ago that “one of the most important missions I‘ve had the honour to be part of is WHO-China Mission on COVID19.”
He said lessons learnt from working with some of the most hardworking experts in China, WHO and other countries will guide Nigeria as it responds to its first COVIDD-19 case.
