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Tag: COVID-19

  • COVID -19 Subvariant: NCDC monitoring new devt, to start testing in four states

    COVID -19 Subvariant: NCDC monitoring new devt, to start testing in four states

    The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) says it is monitoring the new subvariants of the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, named EG.5 and BA.2.86 in four states.

    In a statement on Saturday, the health agency said its COVID-19 Technical Working Group has been monitoring emerging variants from local to global level.

    “Our influenza sentinel surveillance sites continue to provide information on COVID-19 prevalence in patients with influenza-like illness and severe acute respiratory illness,” the statement partly read.

    “We have not observed any increase in trend of COVID-19 in this patient group. We continue to carry out genomics surveillance even with the low testing levels and encourage testing locations in states to ensure their positive samples are sent on to the NCDC for sequencing.

    “Unrelated to the news of these emerging variants, the NCDC and partners are working on implementing an enhanced COVID-19 testing exercise in four states to obtain complementary and more detailed information about circulating variants in the country. In addition, COVID-19 rapid diagnostic kits are being distributed for the purpose of improving bi-directional COVID-19 testing.”

    The agency said preventive actions remained the same as before – good hand hygiene, testing, vaccination, use of masks.

    “There is no need to cause unnecessary anxiety and panic. As we have consistently advised, COVID-19 is here to stay and is now mainly a problem for those at high risk – the elderly, those with underlying chronic illnesses especially hypertension, diabetes, those on cancer treatment, organ transplant recipients and those whose immune systems are suppressed for one reason or the other,” the statement added.

    The EG.5 subvariants has been reported in 51 countries including China, the United States of America, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Canada, Australia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, France, Portugal, and Spain.

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified EG.5 as a “variant of interest” (VOI) and conducted a risk assessment which found this new variant poses a low risk at the global level.

    EG.5 causes symptoms like those seen with other COVID-19 variants, including fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, and sore throat.

    So far, only one case of EG.5 has been seen in Africa, it has not been identified in Nigeria, the NCDC said, adding that although BA.2 has been previously found in Nigeria, no BA.2.86 variant has been identified in Nigeria.

  • SEE health measures in place at Lagos airport to prevent new COVID-19 variant

    SEE health measures in place at Lagos airport to prevent new COVID-19 variant

    The Officer-in-Charge, Port Health Services (PHS), Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Dr Omede Ogu, said on Friday that proactive measures had been taken to prevent the new COVID-19 variant from slipping into the country.

    Ogu disclosed the measures available in an interview with NAN in Lagos.

    The United Kingdom detected its first case of the new COVID-19 variant, BA.2.86, on Aug. 18, and said the strain had also been identified in Israel, Denmark and the US.

    “There is currently one confirmed case in the UK in an individual with no recent travel history, which suggests a degree of community transmission within the UK,” the UK Health Security Agency had said.

    Nigeria and the UK record a high volume of travellers who shuttle between both countries on regular basis.

    Ogu said that information on the new variant had been placed on the Port Health Services Emergency Platform, while other agencies at the airport had also been informed about it.

    “Our mandate is health safety and security at the point of entry and it covers both routine and emergency situations.

    “The new variant has been placed on the Port Health services emergency platform and we have also informed sister agencies at the airport of its existence and they are also on the alert.

    “The ambulances are in good condition and our clinics round the tarmac are in the perfect shape to review any form of emergency, and facilities are inspected daily.

    “Personnel are trained on a weekly basis and this training is called Weekly Pretentious Infection Training. The purpose of this training is to keep our personnel abreast of steps to take when confronted with emergencies like this.

    “Our personnel are on ground and our structures are constantly reviewed, so we assure everyone that there is absolutely nothing to be worried about,” he said.

    Ogu said that the Port Health Service collaborates with Emergency Operation Centres (EOCs) across the country involving stakeholders who deliberate on different strategies and containment mechanisms for emergencies.

    He said that there were cameras at the tarmac that capture the body temperature of passengers when they alight from the plane.

    “For every passenger arriving at the airport, the first point of call is the port health services, and they are screened to check for irregularities in body temperature.

    “The instruments are categorised into three: the hand held thermometer, a tripod tarmac scanner and the distant tarmac camera,” he said.

    According to him, the distant tarmac camera is the most effective because it captures everyone and all the health information, and port health officials see the result on the screen.

    “We intend to get more cameras in the nearest future for more effective coverage and optimal reporting,” he said.

    He urged Nigerians not to panic, noting that the new variant was still at the observatory level.

  • panic as new COVID- 19 variant detected in United Kingdom

    panic as new COVID- 19 variant detected in United Kingdom

    The United Kingdom Health Security Agency, (UKHSA) yesterday detected new COVID-19 variant BA.2.86 in the country.

    UKHSA made this known via a statement on its website.

    According to UKHSA, the new COVID-19 variant was detected in an individual with no recent travel history.

    Dr Meera Chand, the Deputy Director of UKHSA said “We are aware of a confirmed case in the UK. We will provide further information in due course after undertaking detailed assessment.”

    On Thursday, the US health authorities and the World Health Organisation, WHO said they were closely monitoring a new variant of Covid-19.

    Although, the potential impact of BA.2.86 is currently unknown as WHO designated the virus as a ‘variant under monitoring’ following the large number of mutations it carries.

    The BA.2.86 variant has also been identified in Denmark, Israel and the USA.

  • Over $200 billion in Covid loans stolen by fraudsters in US – Report

    Over $200 billion in Covid loans stolen by fraudsters in US – Report

    More than $200 billion may have been stolen from two large COVID-19 relief initiatives, according to new estimates from a US federal watchdog, the media reported. Notably, the watchdog was investigating federally funded programs that helped small businesses survive the pandemic.

    On Tuesday, the inspector general of the Small Business Administration, SBA, released a report that gives the largest estimate yet of how much of the $1.2 trillion disbursed by the SBA was stolen by fraudulent claims.

    The report focused on two programs created during a pandemic to support small businesses, both under the SBA’s purview: the Paycheck Protection Programme, PPP, and the Economic Injury Disaster Loans, EIDL.

    The report said, “At least 17 percent of all COVID-EIDL and PPP funds were disbursed to potentially fraudulent actors”.

    The fraud estimate for the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan programme is more than $136 billion, which represents 33 percent of the total money spent on that programme, according to the report. Meanwhile, the Paycheck Protection fraud estimate is USD 64 billion.

    Of the 22.1 million loans and grants disbursed, 21%, or 4.5 million, were handed to potential fraudsters.

    “In the rush to swiftly disburse COVID-19 EIDL and PPP funds, SBA calibrated its internal controls. The agency weakened or removed the controls necessary to prevent fraudsters from easily gaining access to these programs and provide assurance that only eligible entities received funds. Because of the “allure of ‘easy money,’” an overwhelming number of fraudsters were drawn to the program and took “advantage of the economic crisis and [diverted] funding intended for deserving eligible American small business owners,” the report said.

    As a result, multiple federal agencies are working to recover the stolen money. So far, nearly $30 billion in COVID-19 EIDL and PPP funds have been seized or returned to the SBA, the inspector general said.

    The report also noted that as of May, the oversight has resulted in 1,011 indictments, 803 arrests, and 529 convictions, all related to Covid-19 PPP and EIDL fraud, as per Forbes. The inspector general’s office is still working on tens of thousands of investigative leads on waste, fraud, and abuse in the loan programs, expected to continue for years.

    In a 2021 interview with ABC News, SBA Inspector General Hannibal Mike Ware predicted that the amount of fraud from Covid relief programmes would be “larger than any government programme that came before it.”

  • COVID-19: People in Japan who got used to face masks are attending smiling lessons

    COVID-19: People in Japan who got used to face masks are attending smiling lessons

    People in Japan who became so used to wearing face masks during the pandemic are signing up for lessons to teach them how to smile again.

    While the coverings were already common in the east Asian country pre-COVID, with many using them to combat seasonal illnesses and hay fever, their use skyrocketed when it became official government guidance to wear them during the worst of the outbreak.

    Many people wouldn’t be seen in public without a mask, with the practice becoming near-universal after the virus emerged more than three years ago.

    With the government having finally lifted its recommendation to wear masks in March, Himawari Yoshida was among those who realised they had rather forgotten how to go about life without them.

    “I hadn’t used my facial muscles much during COVID,” said the 20-year-old.

    She has now hired the services of a “smile instructor”, saying it’s “good exercise” and will help her prepare to enter Japan’s jobs market.

    Ms Yoshida and her classmates, mostly young people, are being taught by Keiko Kawano, who in one exercise has them hold up mirrors to their faces, stretching the sides of their mouths with their fingers.

    Growing need for people to smile

    According to Sky news, Ms Kawano’s company Egaoiku – literally “Smile Education” – has seen a four-fold increase in demand for lessons, including one-on-one sessions that cost 7,700 yen (£44).

    “I think there’s a growing need for people to smile,” she said, noting the growing return of tourists to the island.

    Smile coach Koike Kawano teaches students at a smile training course at Sokei Art School in Tokyo, Japan,
    Smile coach Koike Kawano

    She believes Japanese nationals are less inclined to smile than Westerners because of their sense of security as an island country, a trend only exacerbated by a rise in mask wearing.

    “Culturally, a smile signifies that I’m not holding a gun, and I’m not a threat to you,” she added.

     

  • Avoid debts, pay salaries- Okonjo-Iweala urges governors

    Avoid debts, pay salaries- Okonjo-Iweala urges governors

    The Director-general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has urged Nigerian governors to avoid piling up debts on their states and to prioritise citizens’ welfare if they want to have successful tenures.

    Okonjo-Iweala in her address at the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) induction ceremony yesterday in a Abuja, emphasised the importance of prudent financial management for state governments and the need to sustain payment of workers’ salaries.

    Speaking on the need for increased internally generated revenue (IGR), Okonjo-Iweala suggested that governors should focus on transparency and efficiency in their financial practices.

    The former finance minister encouraged them to publish information about the federation revenue allocation and IGR, to enable citizens to have a clear understanding of their state’s financial situation.

    “Nigeria is a country with no social contract, meaning that Nigerian political leaders have never been able to agree with each other to stick to a common set of principles, values, and policies that consistently deliver for their citizens regardless of ethnic group or political persuasion.

    “You have a lot of healing to do – within your states, and between them. Through your words, deeds, and policies, you need to demonstrate to Nigerians that they are equally loved; that they can settle and do business in any part of the country without fear,” he said.

    Moreover, she emphasized the importance of monitoring debt profiles and controlling expenditure. According to her, while investing in critical sectors such as infrastructure, education, and basic healthcare, governors should prioritize the timely payment of teachers and healthcare workers.

    Citing data analysis from the National Bureau of Statistics and Budgit, an organisation dedicated to providing financial reports on country budgets, Okonjo-Iweala revealed that a majority of states rely heavily on federal allocations for revenue.

    In fact, for 33 states, federal allocations account for the majority of their revenue, with 13 of those states depending on monthly impact allocations for approximately 70 percent of their revenue.

    The WTO chief executive also noted that the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted Nigeria, leading to a rise in poverty rates, as according to the World Bank, an estimated 95 million Nigerians fell below the national poverty line in 2022, accounting for 43 percent of the population.

    She further highlighted the potential of Nigeria’s youthful population, stating that the country has an opportunity to attract investment in labour-intensive production processes.

    Okonjo-Iweala encouraged governors to create business-friendly environments to attract both domestic and foreign investment, stressing the importance of Nigeria positioning itself as a platform for producing goods and services to meet regional and global demand.

    Speaking on youths’ craving to relocate from Nigeria, she said: “Excellencies, you must make your states and all Nigeria a hospitable, encouraging place where young people want to stay and thrive, not leave. Much as we appreciate remittances sent home by these migrants, Nigeria will not develop and prosper if its youthful, tech-savvy population leaves. Without them, our demographic dividend disappears.

    “Turning to the fashion space, people across the continent want to dress like us. Nigerian fashion is taking Africa and the world by storm. Our leather industry is moving up the value chain: we used to send tanned leather to Milan, now we are developing shoes, bags, and carpets ourselves of good quality, fit for consumption at home and abroad.”

     

  • COVID-19: NCDC embarks on integrated health emergency

    COVID-19: NCDC embarks on integrated health emergency

    The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said it was transiting the country from acute emergency response to managing COVID-19 as part of integrated healthcare delivery for all infectious diseases.

    This is followed by the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) declaration that COVID-19 is no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

    The NCDC via its official website on Monday, said Nigeria had already de-escalated its COVID-19 response since 2022 in response to local epidemiology, and focused on encouraging COVID-19 vaccination and recommended discretionary use of face masks and other public health safety measures according to personal risk assessments.

    The Nigeria Public Health Institute said that the move was complemented by efforts to leverage the pandemic response (lessons, resources, partnerships, etc) to improve national health security.

    It said the improvement would be through health system strengthening, improving public health emergency management training, and laboratory and infrastructure aa upgrades.

    It added that it would make strategic focus on improving emergency preparedness and planning at state and local government levels.

    “As part of its integrated disease surveillance strategy, the NCDC continues to encourage routine COVID-19 testing along with other infectious diseases as may be indicated in healthcare settings.

    This is part of clinical care for pandemic flu preparedness, as part of bi-directional testing during investigations for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and malaria, and in high-risk populations.

    “Working with partners, the NCDC is also piloting pan-respiratory virus surveillance which is aligned with WHO’s recently declared preparedness and resilience for emerging threats (PRET) initiative,” it said.

    The NCDC said that as part of the genomic surveillance, the centre would introduce wastewater/environmental surveillance to track not just SARS-CoV-2 but antimicrobial resistance, Mpox and typhoid (salmonella).

    “Finally, we continue to work on consolidating COVID-19 pandemic laboratory investments into a cohesive tiered national network of public health laboratories as prescribed in the NCDC Act (2018).

    “With the continued emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases, our frequent and often concurrent disease outbreaks and public health investments made during the pandemic to ensure health security in the country will need to be sustained,” it explained.

    Newsmen reports that on Friday, the Director General of WHO, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, declared that COVID-19 was no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concerns (PHEIC).

    The declaration was made after a careful review of current evidence that shows there is high population-level immunity from the SARS-CoV-2 infection, improved knowledge of the virus and management of confirmed COVID-19 cases.

    There is also a decline in the global burden of the virus, and also a steady increase in vaccine uptake across countries.

    “The declaration that COVID-19 is no longer PHEIC is to enable countries’ transition from acute emergency response to managing COVID-19 as part of integrated healthcare delivery for all infectious diseases.”

    The health organisation said the threat of the virus remained within countries and globally and particularly for high-risk groups,” Ghebreyesus said.

  • WHO opens up on international emergency status of COVID-19

    WHO opens up on international emergency status of COVID-19

    The global Coronavirus pandemic is no longer considered an international health emergency, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has decided.

    WHO head, Tedros Ghebreyesus announced in Geneva on Friday the lifting of the highest alert level that can be imposed in the event of a threat, which has been in place for more than three years.

    The pandemic has been following a declining trend for the past year, Tedros said, referring to increased immunity through vaccination and infection.

    The announcement has no concrete impact because each country decides for itself which protective measures it will impose.

    The Coronavirus has not been defeated, Tedros stressed. It continues to circulate in the world, is dangerous and can still develop dangerous variants at any time.

    Nevertheless, the WHO was following the recommendation of an independent expert committee because it is convinced that the world has good tools to protect people from the virus.

    In addition to vaccines and medicines, these include protective measures such as wearing masks or keeping your distance in crowded and poorly ventilated indoor spaces.

  • NCDC confirms 42 new cases of COVID-19

    NCDC confirms 42 new cases of COVID-19

    The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed 42 additional COVID-19 infections in the country in two weeks, with Lagos State recording 27 cases.

    The NCDC made this known via its official website on Sunday, adding that Edo, Kano, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory contributed the remaining figure.

    The health agency said that the new cases brought the country’s total of COVID-19 infections to 266,492.

    It said that the cases were recorded between Dec. 31, 2022 and Jan. 13.

    ”From Dec. 31 to Jan.  6, 13 new confirmed cases have been recorded in Nigeria. The 13 new cases are reported from two states – Lagos (12) and Edo (one),” it said.

    According to the report, the NCDC confirmed that the country recorded 29 new cases from Jan. 7 to  13; and the new cases are reported from, Lagos (15), FCT (five), Kano (four), Nasarawa (three), Kaduna (one) and Plateau (one).

    It also said that a multi-sectoral national Emergency Operations Centre activated at Level 2, had continued to cordinate the national response activities.

    Meanwhile, the country registered 266,492 COVID-19 confirmed cases, 3,155 deaths, and 259,858 cases had been discharged across 36 states including the FCT.

    The National Primary Health Care Development Agency, (NPHCDA) has continued to advocate for citizens to get their COVID-19 vaccine.

    “If you are yet to be vaccinated, visit the nearest vaccination site to receive your Johnson and Johnson single-dose vaccine. All COVID-19 vaccines are free, safe and effective,” it said.

  • Presidential candidate down with COVID, suspends campaigns

    Presidential candidate down with COVID, suspends campaigns

    Dumebi Kachikwu, Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has called on Nigerians to be vigilant as COVID-19 makes a comeback.

    Kachikwu gave this warning in a statement to disclose that he had tested positive for the Corona virus.

    He said that he was isolating and had cancelled all public events till he received a negative report.

    He called on Nigerians not to take the Corona virus for granted as infection rates have risen rapidly all over the world in the last few weeks.

    “Nigerians must not let their guard down even though the Government has relaxed COVID rules. Our public health system can’t cope with the fallout of huge infection rates with attendant symptoms especially at a time when our health care professionals are leaving the country in droves.

    “We must increase testing and take all necessary precautions not to spread the virus. We must not allow political rallies to become COVID spreaders and reverse the gains made in combating the virus. We will survive the Corona Virus if we all remain vigilant.”