TheNewsGuru

Tag: COVID-19

  • COVID-19: Delta council starts enforcing social distancing

    The Chairman Isoko North Local Government Council, Hon Emmanuel Egbabor says the Council has commenced sensitisation campaign and enforcement of social distancing across the area.

    The Chairman, disclosed this in Ozoro on Wednesday, while briefing journalists on the outcome of the stakeholders meetings between the Council, security agencies and National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the area.

    He said that the local government is concerned about the health of Isoko North people and therefore it has become imperative that the Council enforce the directives of the State Government on preventive measures against the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “As part of the resolve of the Council to support Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s efforts at preventing the spread of the Coronavirus in the state, we have commenced sensitization of our people in all communities, schools, motor parks, markets, churches and along streets among other places. Our health workers have started going round for days to all communities in Isoko North held to educate our people.

    “We have held meetings with security agencies as well as National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) on the effectiveness of the measures being taken so far”

    “We have asked our traditional rulers, President-Generals, religious leaders, market leaders, security agencies as well as National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to ensure that the social distancing is followed strictly and no gathering of not more that 20 is obeyed.

    “We resolved that we must henceforth practice social distancing as much as possible in the local government to prevent the spread of the dreaded virus in our area.

    “We also agreed that they must go back to their various communities and kingdoms to enlighten the people on the need to keep personal hygiene such as regular hand washing and use of sanitisers.

    “I have directed that there must be strict compliance and enforcement of the ban on public gatherings including burials, marriages, town hall meetings, conferences and even church and jumat services.

    “We have also directed the NURTW to ensure that transporters comply with the instructions of not carrying above the limits as prescribed.

    “The state government has directed that not more than 50 worshippers in a large space at a time are allowed in a particular service and the security agencies have been directed to enforce it to the letter.

    “As a council we have also put a stop to the biometric exercise in the local government council as directed by the governor.

    “All these measures are aimed at preventing the spread of the virus and I urge the people of Isoko North to comply in the best interest of our state.” Egbabor stated

  • COVID-19 Pandemic: China should be penalised for inflicting untold pains, hardships on people – Toke Makinwa

    Popular OAP, Toke Makinwa is angry at China for being responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic currently raging the world.

    The show host and actress says the Asian country should be penalised for inflicting such pain and worry on the world as a whole.

    In a series of tweets, she says, “Not to even lie I am low key mad at China, the whole world should fine them when all of this is over, the whole world is paying dearly for it. Stop eating certain animals #Sigh.

    “Everyone is feeling the craziness, a lot of people have been laid off from work, a lot of companies downsizing and restructuring, this bites, crazy times ahead.

    “If this outbreak started in Africa, the way they would have contained it, the way they’ll ban and close their borders to anything coming from Africa, it’s just unfair, people losing jobs, their lives, conspiracy or not, lab or market in Wuhan, this is insane.”

    Nigeria recorded the first index case on February 27 and has recorded 51 cases with one death as of March 25.

  • COVID-19: Surrender yourself for test if you are sure of your status – PDP tells Yahaya Bello

    COVID-19: Surrender yourself for test if you are sure of your status – PDP tells Yahaya Bello

    The Kogi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has advised Governor Yahaya Bello to immediately subject himself to the Coronavirus test, having had contact with Abba kyari, the Chief of Staff to President Mohammadu Buhari.

    The PDP in a statement signed by its Director Research and Documentation, Achadu Dickson, said that the fight against the dreaded Covid-19 virus can only be won when stakeholders show responsibility beyond lip service, and urged those who had contact with the CoS to the President to go for test.

    Kyari was one of the top Federal Government officials that graced the three days prayer for the late mother of Governor Bello, Hajia Hawau, last week, in Okene.

    Recall that speculations had gone viral that Bello tested positive with some social media platform saying that he has gone into self-quarantine.

    The governor and his Commissioner for Health, Dr. Saka Haruna, have however debunked the rumour.

    Haruna said the news of Bello testing positive for the virus is incorrect, and called on the public to ignore such.

    The Commissioner had said, “That is incorrect; please ignore such lies.”

     

  • CBN speaks on shutting down operations nationally over COVID-19 pandemic

    The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said it will not stop its operations at its headquarters in Abuja and the 37 branches of the bank across the country during the COVID-19 crisis.

    In a statement issued on Wednesday, the apex bank said only its essential staff will be expected to report for duty daily.

    The bank said it was aware of the current impact of the coronavirus disease on the global economy coupled with efforts by the Nigerian government, including partial lockdown in some states and at the federal level, to check the spread of the virus in the country.

    “As a responsible public institution and regulator, we have triggered our business continuity plans to ensure that the bank’s operations remain largely undisrupted at this present time when social distancing has become key to checking further spread of the virus. We have also directed Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and other financial institutions to do same.

    “The welfare and safety of our staff and their families, and indeed all Nigerians, remain top priority to us. Consequently, with effect from Wednesday, March 25, 2020, till further notice, only essential staff of the CBN Head Office and the 37 branches of the bank will be expected to report for duty daily. In other words, our staff in non-critical roles have been directed to stay at home and work remotely, when their services are required,” the statement said.

    Continuing, the apex bank said, “We have also directed all our staff to follow stipulated guidelines by the Federal Ministry of Health, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and other relevant health agencies of government to curb possible spread of the virus in Nigeria.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, the CBN, in line with its mandate of ensuring monetary and price stability, will remain open for business during these trying times.”

  • COVID-19: Frightening attitude of Nigerians, By Ehichioya Ezomon

    By Ehichioya Ezomon
    With Lagos State – recorder of the first index in Nigeria – now having “a combination of imported cases and local transmission,” and over 1,300 people under surveillance, to find information about their health status, the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is here at last.
    So, in the course of this article, I engaged several persons in my community, to gauge their awareness, knowledge and implications of the pandemic for Nigeria and the rest of humanity.
    My findings were frightening! As deadly – and widespread – as the novel virus is reported globally, the average Nigerian seems to believe it’s some made-up story to scare members of the public.
    Those who believe in the disease’s existence are dismissive of its berthing in Nigeria, arguing there’d been no reported case(s) of a person(s) testing positive for or had died from the infection.
    Another group of Nigerians thinks the COVID-19 is sprung to test the people’s faith in God who, in any case, “will not allow His faithful to be destroyed by a strange disease.”
    Still, some Nigerians claim that the coronavirus isn’t as deadly as Ebola or Lassa fever, with the former speedily contained when it was “imported” into Nigeria a few years ago, and the latter, likely seasonal, has been controlled from spreading exponentially.
    My first stop was a chemist-provisions store. The previous day, I had discussed with the store’s owners – husband and wife – about observing simple guidelines to preventing contracting the virus.
    They should forbid customers entering the store or crowding the barrier fronting the store. As I discussed with the couple – and kept a distance – they laughed, making light of a serious situation.
    So, I wasn’t surprised the next day to find the store crowded by customers. As the male storekeeper saw me, he smiled. Keeping my distance, I asked why he allowed the store to be crammed.
    He smiled again, and motioned to a man – sitting on a bench, whom I assumed he had shared with my “advice” of the previous day. As if cued, the man said: “Ah, this thing (COVID-19) is not in Nigeria.”
    But I said: “The government reported yesterday (Wednesday, March 18, 2020) eight new cases, and the death of an American in Ekiti. So, you still don’t believe the virus is in Nigeria?”
    He fired back: “Did you see the reported new cases, and the ‘dead’ American? Did anybody see them? I don’t believe these stories. There is no (corona)virus in Nigeria. So, stop causing panic.”
    My insistence that to prevent infection, people should wash their hands with soap regularly, avoid handshake, hugging, touching of the face, and observe social distancing elicited invoking faith in the power of God to deal with any eventuality.
    And it’s interjected by a bike (okada) rider, who happened into the premises, and joined the debate. He asserted, without proof, that it’s the Chinese that “are bringing this disease into Nigeria.”
    Before I could challenge him for proof, he said: “But God pass dem. Our God no go allow dem kill us with strange diziz wey dem make for dia country. God no go greeooooo!”
    My initial respondent concurred. “Yesooooo, God will not allow the disease to have any effect on us,” he said, adding, “Whenever I am going out of the house, I cover myself with ‘the blood of Jesus,’ and nothing (with emphasis) will touch me.”
    “Even if I touch my face with my rested hand on this bench – as you (addressing me) said that droplets from sneezing and coughing by an infected person could contaminate surfaces – nothing will happen, as I always cover myself with ‘the blood of Jesus’.”
    Our greatest problem is contradictory beliefs. As doubting Thomases, we believe by demonstrable experience (Luke 6:46, Luke 13:25-27). But we also believe that only God can answer our prayers (Matthew 18:19, Matthew 21:22 and Mark 11:24).
    Thus, in the face of imminent and obvious danger to our health and life, we rest our faith in God. Not for us the axiom that, “Heaven helps those who help themselves,” as the adage isn’t scriptural, and of no relevance in our lives, not even in the era of COVID-19.
    As I mused, the storekeeper’s wife walked in. Noticing that I kept some distance, she smiled and moved towards me. Instinctively, I took a step backward. And she exclaimed: “Are you running from me? Ewoooo!” She clapped her hands and laughed heartily.
    “No,” I said, and asked her to give me some wares. She waded through the crowd, got into the store, fetched the goods and handed them over through an opening in the barrier. As I walked away, I thought to myself, “These are signs of the times.”
    At another part of the community, I encountered a different scenario on the COVID-19. I needed airtime for my phone. The shop owner offered me a seat, which I drew away from him. He got the message, and asked how serious the virus was in Nigeria.
    I said it’s at a limited stage, but that we all – the government and the people – needed to act to prevent and contain its spread, as we don’t have the wherewithal to combat a total outbreak.
    Specifically, I said the daunting task comes down to the people – to observe simple rules, to prevent infection, and in the event of the unforeseen, to self-isolate quickly and call for medical help.
    The man asked how many times do people need to wash their hands daily. I told him I wasn’t a medical person or a scientist, but that it should be regular, and with application of hand sanitiser.
    At the mention of hand sanitiser, he asked his adjacent female storekeeper to “give me that thing.” The woman offered a small green-capped plastic bottle – I thought was a hand sanitiser.
    Immediately he received the bottle, he unscrewed the cork, and took two quick swigs. Unbelievable! He saw the surprise in my eyes and assured it’s alcohol he said “experts” had recommended to prevent COVID-19.
    There you go! Who are the experts that recommended taking of alcohol to prevent and/or combat the coronavirus? Or Nigerians just want to indulge themselves, hiding under the pandemic?
    Well, as I took my leave, I advised the man to follow “real” experts’ recommendations on the virus, thanked him for the airtime, and asked the store-woman to extend my regards to her husband.
    On my way home, I noticed that the number of patrons at the chemist-provision store hadn’t reduced much. As I passed by, the man I had had an extended debate with saw me, and called out: “Oga Journalist.” I stopped to listen to his inquisition.
    He asked, a note of ‘I-got-you-this-time’ in his voice: “You said this disease is in Nigeria, and in Lagos, and you have told us how to prevent being infected, including wearing of face mask, and yet, you are not wearing one.”
    “Because I’m not wearing a surgical mask, you will not wear one?” I said, adding, “If you wear a mask, you may not necessarily save my life, but yours.” I waved him bye and moved on.
    If people don’t believe in the existence or spread of the coronavirus – and they’re presented with symptoms of the disease – will they self-isolate, call for help or report themselves for treatment? We must change our attitude, to complement government’s measures to prevent, control and contain the spread of COVID-19.
    * Mr. Ezomon, Journalist and Media Consultant, writes from Lagos, Nigeria.
  • BREAKING: Rivers records first case, as COVID-19 rises in Abuja, Lagos

    BREAKING: Rivers records first case, as COVID-19 rises in Abuja, Lagos

    The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been confirmed in Rivers State by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), while new cases have been recorded in Lagos State and the federal capital territory (FCT), Abuja.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Rivers is recording the first case of the pandemic after the State government emplaced stringent measures to curtail outbreak of the disease in the State.

    From the five new cases of COVID-19 confirmed: 2 in the FCT, 2 in Lagos and 1 in Rivers, 3 are returning travellers into Nigeria and 2 are close contacts of a confirmed case. As at 11:25 pm 25th March, there are now 51 confirmed cases, with 2 cases discharged, and 1 death recorded.

    This means that, currently, Lagos now has 32 cases, FCT with 10 cases, Ogun with 3 cases, Ekiti, Oyo, Edo, Bauchi, Osun, and Rivers with one case each, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 51.

    Recall that Rivers State Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike had said no visitors would be allowed to leave the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa and allowed entry into the State, going forward, in a move to check the spread of COVID-19 in the State.

    TNG reports Governor Wike stated this on Wednesday during a broadcast, announcing that his State would have been infected with COVID-19, but for the vigilance of security agents who, acting on a tip- off, prevented an infected person from boarding a flight from Abuja to Port Harcourt.

    “It is with gratitude to God that I announce to you that our State would have been infected with Coronavirus yesterday, but for the vigilance of security agents who, acting on a tip- off prevented an infected person from boarding a flight from Abuja to Port Harcourt.

    “The infected person beat all security measures that were put in place at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and was to sneak into Port Harcourt before security agents stopped her,” Wike had said in a broadcast.

    Be further stated that, “Based on this alarming information, the State Security Council met yesterday and reviewed measures already put in place and decided that there was urgent need to adopt stringent measures to protect those living and doing business in the state from the virus.

    “The council has therefore taken the following painful decisions: With effect from 6pm on Thursday, March 26, 2020, the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa will not be open to air traffic. While we may not have the right to stop flights from entering Port Harcourt, we cannot allow anybody coming from the airport to enter our State. We are confident that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other federal agencies will cooperate with us.

    “All Land and Sea Borders will be closed. Vehicular movements in an out of the state have been banned. In essence no vehicle will leave Rivers State for any other State and no vehicle will be allowed to enter the state”.

    Governor Wike said that the new measures will be in place till further notice.

    “Let me reiterate that the situation we are facing requires drastic measures because Coronavirus has ravaged many countries. Security Agencies have been empowered to strictly enforce this directive. There will be no room for sacred cows because the virus is no respecter of persons.

    “May I once again call for the support and understanding of everyone living and doing business in Rivers State to help the relevant Government Agencies implement these measures to check the spread of Coronavirus to the state,” Wike said.

    He further stated that, “At this time in our national life, we must shun primordial sentiments and face the reality on ground. I am confident that God being on our side, the temporary hardship we are facing today will come to an end very soon”.

    Governor Wike recounted earlier measures taken by the Rivers State Government to tackle Coronavirus, emphasizing that they were still in force.

    “In that broadcast, I announced the setting up of Surveillance Posts at our land and sea borders, beginning from Tuesday, March 24, 2020. I also informed you that after due consultations with Religious Leaders, all forms of open worship including crusades and vigils were banned. Public Burials and weddings were prohibited, while public parks, night clubs and Cinemas were directed to close down,” he said.

  • Michael Jackson predicted coronavirus-like pandemic – Ex-bodyguard declares

    Michael Jackson predicted coronavirus-like pandemic – Ex-bodyguard declares

    Matt Fiddes, a former bodyguard of Michael Jackson, late ‘King of Pop’, says the singer always wore a face-mask to public places because of his fears of a coronavirus-like pandemic.

    In a chat with UK Sun, Fiddes claimed that the pop star, during one of his world tours, had realized that there was possibility for a virus like COVID-19 to spread across the globe.

    This, according to him, was what incited Jackson to always wear a facemask despite the ridicule that came with it.

    “He knew that a natural disaster was always there. He was very aware and would always predict that we could be wiped out at any time. That a germ that could spread,” he said.

    “So he would go through four countries in one day sometimes and he was on airplanes with people all the time.”

    Fiddes, the Britain bodyguard who looked after the singer for a decade, said he’d jokingly ask Jackson not to wear the facemask but the singer would always get irritated that “people didn’t take him seriously.”

    “He would say, ‘Matt I can’t get ill, I can’t let my fans down. I’ve got concerts coming up. I’m on this earth for a reason. I mustn’t damage my voice,” he added.

    “‘I’ve got to stay healthy, Matt. I don’t know who I’m going to encounter today, I don’t know what I might pass on’.”

    Asked what Jackson would say about COVID-19 outbreak if he was alive, Fiddes said: “I know exactly what he would say to people now and that’s it. I told you so.

    “Then he’d be moaning that no one is listening to him because when he used to say stuff like that people didn’t take him seriously, they used to call him ‘Wacko Jacko’ and all this stuff.

    “But you don’t get to be the biggest superstar in the world and not be intelligent.

    “That guy was super damn intelligent. But I knew him.”

     

    Jackson is believed to have died of acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication in 2009 at his Los Angeles home.

    TheNewsGuru recalls that in 2019, the Los Angeles detectives, who probed his case, had claimed that the late singer’s death was more than a case of drug overdose.

     

  • Covid-19: The Odds Against Chloroquine, By Debo Oladimeji

    Covid-19: The Odds Against Chloroquine, By Debo Oladimeji

    By Debo Oladimeji

    Health officials in Nigeria have reportedly issued a warning over chloroquine after about three people overdosed on the drug, in the wake of President Trump’s comments about using it to treat coronavirus.

    Three people were hospitalized in Lagos after taking the drug. Officials later issued a statement cautioning against using chloroquine for Covid-19 treatment.

    Governor Jide Sanwoolu’s SSA on Health, Dr Oreoluwa Finnih urged people against massive consumption of Chloroquine as a measure to fight coronavirus.

    US President Donald Trump claimed at a White House briefing last week that the Food and Drug Administration had approved the “very powerful” drug chloroquine to treat coronavirus.

    “It’s shown very encouraging — very, very encouraging early results. And we’re going to be able to make that drug available almost immediately. And that’s where the FDA has been so great. They — they’ve gone through the approval process; it’s been approved. And they did it — they took it down from many, many months to immediate. So we’re going to be able to make that drug available by prescription or states,” Trump said.

    He added: “Normally the FDA would take a long time to approve something like that, and it’s — it was approved very, very quickly and it’s now approved, by prescription.”

    However, the FDA after the briefing issued a statement saying it had not approved the drug for use against Covid-19 and is still studying its effectiveness against the disease.

    T rump’s endorsement of the drug led to a surge of interest among Nigerians keen to stock up on the medication, which has led to inevitable price hikes in the megacity of around 20 million inhabitants.

    One man said that in a pharmacy near his home on the Lagos mainland, he witnessed the price rise by more than 400% in a matter of minutes.

    Kayode Fabunmi, a Lagos-based lawyer, said: “The pharmacist knew the market and was saying to every incoming customer, ‘You know Donald Trump has said this thing cures coronavirus,’ and the price kept changing.

    “The original price was 200 naira (around 50 cents), then it became 500 naira ($1.38) then it became 1,000 naira ($2.77) while I was there,” he said.

    The Lagos State Health Ministry issued a brief statement saying there was no “hard evidence that chloroquine is effective in prevention or management of coronavirus infection.”

    Chloroquine is used to treat malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

    Malaria is an endemic disease in Nigeria and other parts of Africa and for many years, it was common to treat it with chloroquine. However, at least 40 African countries, including Nigeria, have phased it out as a frontline antimalarial drug and replaced it with other drugs following widespread resistance to it.

    A study in France published on March 20 in the International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents described the treatment of 42 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, 26 of whom received a version of chloroquine called hydroxychloroquine and 16 of whom received routine care. Of the 20 patients who took the antimalarial and completed the study, six also received azithromycin, an antibiotic.

    All six of these patients were free of SARS-CoV-2 by the fifth day post-treatment, while seven of 14 patients who took hydroxychloroquine alone were negative for the virus, and two of 16 control patients were no longer infected.

    Small-scale experiments in which chloroquine has been given to COVID-19 patients in China and Australia have also shown encouraging results as far as shortening the course of the disease.

    Larger clinical trials will be necessary to determine how effective the drug is.

    While doctors in China, the United States and other countries have used the drug experimentally in Covid-19 patients, there is not yet enough clinical evidence that it’s effective in humans or the management of the disease.

    Dr. Michel Yao, Africa emergency response program manager for the World Health Organization, told CNN there are 20 drugs and the same number of vaccines under clinical trial, and it is too early to make recommendations about the efficacy of any for the treatment of the virus.

    “The WHO’s position is clear. Any medication should be based on evidence. We don’t have yet any evidence from any of these trials that would allow WHO to do a formal recommendation. All these are in progress, so it is difficult for us to recommend at this stage that any of the medicine can be of use for the treatment of coronavirus,” Yao said.

    “It is too early to rush to the decision that chloroquine … at least for WHO to recommend it for

    Severe itching was one of the side effects of using chloroquine to treat malaria.

    For two, three days you will be itching. You dread having a bath, you will scratch and scratch and you would have to take piriton (an antihistamine) alongside it. It’s also very bitter. If you make the mistake of letting it drop in your mouth, you will feel the taste for a long time.

    Nigeria as of today has of Wednesday reported 46 cases of Covid-19.

    According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there are no medicines/vaccines to-date approved and proven and to be effective in the treatment of Corona virus/Covid-19.

    Different opinions have been circulating about the use of drugs especially Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of Corona virus /Covid-19 pandemic suggesting that either drug is useful for prevention or treatment.

    Below is a summary of the current evidence regarding use of drugs for treatment/prevention of corona virus/covid-19.

    Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine are approved drugs in the USA and other countries for mainly Malaria and Arthritis respectively and the FDA and other Drug authorities are only currently evaluating the evidence linking any drugs including chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine to improvement of outcomes in patients with Covid-19.

    The approval process usually includes pre-clinical laboratory and animal studies, clinical trials in humans for safety and efficacy and review of an application for approval by a competent drug authority to ensure that the drug works correctly and consistently and that its benefits outweigh its risks to the population.

    This review process usually lasts up to 2 years but can be expedited to within a few months for promising therapies that treat a serious life threatening disease like covid-19.

    Numerous clinical studies have been conducted globally regarding the performance of Chloroquine and its variant Hydroxychloroquine since the beginning of the pandemic.

    Most recently a French study and earlier studies in China have shown that these drugs may have positive effects when used in patients with covid-19. Earlier evidence suggests that Hydroxychloroquine is more potent than Chloroquine and may therefore be used in smaller doses.

    Usage of these two drugs in countries where they have been tried has mainly been restricted to patients through compassionate use in hospital settings. Compassionate use of a drug refers to the use of a promising unapproved drug to treat a seriously ill patient when no other treatments are available.

    This is mainly availed to patients participating in an investigational study known as a clinical trial.

    It should be remembered that Chloroquine as drug has a narrow therapeutic window i.e the difference between the effective and toxic doses is small and may cause life-threatening cardiac toxicity/arythmias especially when used in high doses for long.

    Whereas chloroquine may be relatively safe at lower doses and in pregnancy, inappropriate self-use may also stimulate malaria resistance. Patients/clients should therefore be adequately informed of these concerns especially potential toxicities and the uncertain efficacy.

    Access to these drugs should not divert the public from optimal supportive care for any patient and preventive and control measures as prescribed by the ministry of Health that have shown favorable outcomes.

    Chloroquine/Hydroxychloroquine should not be used in patients with heart problems associated with QTc prolongation, Myasthenia gravis, retinal pathology, porphyria, epilepsy and patients on certain drugs like mefloquine, cimetidine e.tc

    Other anti-viral drugs that have been tried for treating covid-19 include remdesivir (not available locally in Uganda) and an Anti-HIV drug Lopinavir/ritonavir (Aluvia/Kaletra).

    Concerns have also emerged about theoretical interferences between receptors used for corona virus entry and some medicines such as anti-hypertensive drugs called Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitors,/Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) as well as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and corticosteroids.

    Anti-hypertensive drugs e.g ACE inhibitors/ARBs

    There is so far no scientific evidence to date to support the assertion that treatment with a class of anti-hypertensive drugs like losartan could predispose individuals to a higher risk of covid-19 or adverse effects when infected with covid-19. It has therefore been the position of several scientific and professional societies that patients should continue their ACE inhibitors and ARBs unless specifically advised to stop by their medical teams.

    The management of Corona virus/covid-19 symptoms may involve the use of antipyretics and/or anti-inflammatory drugs for fever and mild pain. Currently there is no conclusive evidence to establish a direct association between the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (including ibuprofen) and increased risk of infection with corona virus/covid-19 or severity of disease. Notwithstanding, other medicines such as paracetamol should be as first choice for the management of fever in covid-19 patients.

    Corticosteroids are not recommended for viral pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome and should be avoided because of potential for prolonging viral replications.

    Chloroquine has a long track record in medicine, having been used since the 1940s as an antimalarial. The modern drug is made from the bark of the Cinchona plant, which was taken as an herbal remedy by indigenous Peruvians four centuries ago to treat fever. And there are some early indications it could work against SARS-CoV-2 infections.

    There’s often a huge gap between how it works in the lab cells and how it works in the body.

    Researchers at the University of Minnesota have embarked on a study including 1,500 people to probe the drug’s effectiveness further in preventing the development of COVID-19 after people are exposed to SARS-CoV-2. The results could be available in a matter of weeks, Jakub Tolar, the dean of the University of Minnesota Medical School and vice president for clinical affairs, tells Reuters, and might indicate whether it’s worth launching a larger trial.

    A small trial of 1,500 people would be a pragmatic step towards verifying the drug’s efficacy, says Jeremy Rossman, a virologist at the University of Kent, who praises the approach.

    A number of other chloroquine experiments on humans are in the works. According to clinicaltrials.gov, researchers at the University of Oxford plan to give it as a prophylactic to 10,000 health care workers and others at high risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2. In Norway, doctors expect to begin administering the drug to hospitalized patients. And in Thailand, clinicians are preparing for a clinical trial comparing various combinations of antivirals, including chloroquine.

    If chloroquine is shown to be effective against SARS-CoV-2, it will not be via the same mechanism by which the drug functions as an antimalarial. That’s because malaria is caused not by a virus but by a microparasite of the Plasmodium genus. Chloroquine makes it toxic for the parasite to digest its host’s hemoglobin.

    Chloroquine might have entirely different effects against a virus, such as, for example, disrupting the virus’s ability to enter a cell.

    Nabil Seidah, a molecular biologist at the Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM), and colleagues examined chloroquine’s effect on SARS-CoV back in 2005. Seidah is currently experimenting with drugs including chloroquine as potential SARS-CoV-2 treatments and using material sent to him by pharmaceutical firms.

    His 2005 study reported “strong antiviral effects” in animal cells in vitro. Seidah tells The Scientist that the mechanism by which chloroquine disrupts infection by a coronavirus remains unclear.

    Chloroquine can raise the pH of endosomes, vesicles inside cells that are hijacked as points of entry by viruses. Endosomes have a slightly acidic pH, which helps facilitate this process. Seidah explains that chloroquine can raise endosomic pH slightly, which prevents fusion and stops the virus from entering the cell. Seidah says chloroquine may also block enzymes involved in the fusion between the virus and lung cells or stymie the viral replication process.

    Whatever the mechanism, Seidah says, it’s likely a combination of drugs of some kind that will, ultimately, be needed to treat COVID-19.

    “Chloroquine alone will not solve the problem,” he says.

    The drug is potentially dangerous when used at high doses or for prolonged periods. It can cause permanent blindness and even death. Rossman and Seidah agree that larger clinical trials are a must before chloroquine is considered safe and effective as a treatment for COVID-19.

    There’s no question the need for effective treatments is urgent. Cases of Covid-19 are exploding, with more than 10,000 in New York State alone. Actual numbers may be far higher. Reports say that New York hospitals are full with patients on ventilators who need treatment now.

  • COVID-19: Okowa lauds FG for halting int’l flights

    COVID-19: Okowa lauds FG for halting int’l flights

    Delta Governor, Sen. (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa, has commended the Federal Government for halting international flights into the country as part of measures to curtail the COVID-19 pandemic.

    He said the stoppage of international flights and closure of land borders would ill stem the spread of the dreaded disease in the country.

    Okowa told journalists after inspecting facilities at the Isolation Centre for the pandemic at the Central Hospital, Asaba, on Wednesday that with the preventive measures being put in place by the state government, Delta was ready to battle the disease if any case was recorded in the state.

    He urged Deltans and Nigerians to adhere to precautionary instructions and maintain personal hygiene and social distancing, saying that such measures would help in averting contact and spread the Coronavirus.

    According to the Governor, we have gone through the Isolation Centre and the Holding Rooms and you can see that the centre is fully ready. Other facilities to ensure that the health staff are safe have also been fully installed.

    He said, “we have ventilators in place and more will be installed within the week. The important thing is ensuring the comfort of the patient but also ensuring that the health staff members are safe. We have proper changing rooms, with personal protective wears also in place.

    “We now have two centres in Asaba alone; you will recall that a week ago I inspected the purpose-built Isolation Center at the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, built by the Delta State Government.

    “Beyond these two centres that are ready, we are also establishing another one at the Teaching Hospital in Oghara. The Medical Director has made necessary arrangements for a secluded part of the hospital. They already have their Dialysis machines and we have also released funds for the quality of water needed for the machines.

    “We are also establishing a centre in Warri. By tomorrow (Thursday), all works that need to be done to put the ward in good shape would have been completed and the necessary equipment will be deployed for the purpose of being able to attend to would-be patients if and in case we have the Coronavirus in the state.

    “We are preparing; we don’t have to wait till we have a case. We thank the Federal Government for stopping international flights and closing the land borders; that is one good thing we have done, but I think we should have done that earlier than we did.

    “However, we thank them for this action which will now enable us to manage those persons in the country who are already exposed to the virus and manage the transmission chain in such a manner that we are able to reduce the numbers and that’s exactly what we are trying to do here in Delta.

    “We have advised our people on the need to wash their hands properly and to also use hand sanitisers regularly, we have advised that it is not the time to congregate together or go to parties, we have also given directives banning nightclubs.’’

    Okowa also stated that transporters must ensure that their vehicles were not fully loaded.

    According to him, it’s not the time to carry four people at the back; maximum is two at the back and one at the front. We just have to show love toourselves and the best way you can show love is by obeying instructions by doing what we ought to do.

    “We are meeting with our religious leaders on the need to find alternative ways to worship for now. Not all churches or mosques will be able to communicate with their members through the internet.

    “But for those that cannot, you can call on phone and pray with your members but your members can also truly stay at home and pray, God hears prayers wherever the person is.

    “It is not compulsory you must be in church in full capacity for us to pray to God, because God hears us from wherever we make our prayers. These are some of the precautions we are taking.

    “We have also banned all town unions and conferences from taking place; all youth gatherings are banned with effect from tomorrow (Thursday).

    “So, it is important that Deltans should please listen and as much as we listen and observe these, we are likely going to be able to limit the chain of transmission and that’s important.

    “We don’t have any case yet but that does not mean that we are safe; just one case is enough to create a chain of transmissions that can cause panic just in a few days or weeks.

    “Coronavirus is real, the rates are doubling every three to five days in some countries and we must be very cautious because the virus can catch up with anybody.

    “It is good for us and our families as well as our nation if we obey instructions from the NCDC or any other relevant health authorities,” the governor stated.

  • Exclusive: [Video]Those who wish me Covid-19, will have HIV

    Exclusive: [Video]Those who wish me Covid-19, will have HIV

    Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello has reacted to reports making the rounds in the media that he should subjects self to self-isolation.

    According to reports, Yahaya Bello had contacts with the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari who recently tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

    “I got no Covid, those who wish me to have Covid, will have HIV. I am good, hale and hearty and I am challenging everyone to the boxing ring…” Says Gov. Bello