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Tuesday, April 16, 2024
Coronavirus

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The Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN) yesterday made a case for a stimulus package for the media to ease the operational difficulties they have been subjected to since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

President of NPAN, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, at a virtual meeting the group had yesterday with the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, listed the stimulus the media needed to include a soft loan, tax relief and other fiscal incentives as well as an increased patronage of the media by the government.

Obaigbena, who is also Chairman of THISDAY Newspaper/ARISE NEWS Channel, called on the minister to enact a policy that will ensure that some online platforms pay for the original content they generate from the various media outlets in Nigeria.

“In Australia, the government has intervened in ensuring that Facebook, Google and Twitter pay for original content by journalists and media practitioners as a matter of policy,” he said.

He urged the federal government to do the same for the Nigerian media.

Obaigbena assured the minister that the media would continued to sensitise Nigerians on COVID-19 in all platforms, even in the face of drastic reduction in revenue.

In his remarks, Mohammed applauded the media for supporting the ongoing fight against the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

He also appealed for more support for the federal government’s efforts in tackling the pandemic.

“The government is very grateful to the media. You have done a lot to bring our message (on the pandemic) to Nigerians,” he said.

He cited the result of a recent poll, which showed that 99 per cent of Nigerians are aware of the pandemic, while 95 per cent said they have received information on how to protect themselves, as a testament to the effectiveness of the media in collaborating with the federal government to enlighten the public on the pandemic.

The minister, according to a statement from his office, noted that in the absence of any drug or vaccine against the virus, the only way it can be controlled is through non-pharmaceutical intervention (NPI), which includes social distancing, wearing of face mask, avoiding mass gathering and ensuring personal hygiene.

According to him, NPI is hinged on getting the necessary information to the public and this could only be done with the support of the media.

“You see – the truth of the matter is that as long as there is no vaccine or drug for COVID-19, the only way we can all survive is through the non-pharmaceutical intervention, which is actually anchored on advocacy and public sensitisation and there is no way you can do this without the media in whatever form, whether it is the print, electronic or the new media.

“Yes, we are going to spend more on research and ventilators but we will spend less money on ventilators, less on isolation centres if we invest just a fraction of what we are spending on ventilators in the media,” he stated.

The minister added that even though the federal government is confronted with huge economic challenges arising from dwindling revenue, he would consider the requests by the association to mitigate the effect of the pandemic on its members.

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The federal government has rolled out guidelines for the reopening of educational institutions.

All primary, secondary and tertiary educational institutions in the country were shut in March when the federal government unveiled measures to battle the spread of COVID-19.

This is coming as there seems to be a major breakthrough in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic as dexamethasone, a cheap and widely available low-dose United Kingdom steroid drug, has shown efficacy for preventing critically-ill COVID-19 patients from dying.

However, barely three days to the planned reopening of worship centres, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has suspended the plans, citing the rising cases of COVID-19 in the state.

The Minister of State for Education, Mr. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, rolled out the guidelines for the reopening of schools in Abuja yesterday.

He spoke at the 2020 Policy Meeting on Admissions to Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

Nwajiuba said: “All institutions must have hand-washing facilities; body temperature checks; body disinfectants at all entering points to their major facilities, including the gates, hostels, classes, offices, etc; the whole premises of each institution must be decontaminated; all efforts must be geared toward maintenance of the highest level of hygiene and institutions must ensure social and physical distancing in class sizes and meeting spaces.”

The minister hailed the higher institutions for responding promptly to the pandemic challenges by coming up with different innovations, including the manufacturing of some of the facilities that were required to attend to COVID-19 patients.

He warned them against reopening schools without the federal government’s approval.

“While we look forward to easing the lockdown, which will ultimately lead to re-opening of our campuses, I urge all the heads of institutions not to wait till the announcement on reopening before putting in place all necessary measures in compliance with the protocols and advisories of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control,” he stated.

Relief as UK Drug Reduces COVID-19 Deaths

There appears to be a major breakthrough in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic as dexamethasone, a cheap and widely available low-dose UK steroid drug has shown efficacy for preventing critically ill COVID-19 patients from dying.

The drug is part of the world’s biggest existing medicine under clinical trial for the treatment and possible cure for the deadly viral disease.

The research, led by a team from Oxford University scientists, has shown that dexamethasone cuts the risk of death by a third for patients on ventilators, and by a fifth, for those on oxygen.

The Chief Investigator of the Research, Prof. Peter Horby, said: “Had the drug been used to treat patients in the UK from the start of the pandemic, up to 5,000 lives could have been saved. This could be of huge benefit in poorer countries with high numbers of COVID-19 patients.”

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said about 19 out of 20 patients with COVID-19 recover without being admitted to hospital.

Of those who are admitted, most also recover, but some may need oxygen or mechanical ventilation.

These are the high-risk patients whom dexamethasone appears to help.

Horby said the drug has already been used to reduce inflammation in a range of other conditions, adding that it appears that it helps stop some of the damages that can happen when the body’s immune system goes into overdrive as it tries to fight off COVID-19.

“The body’s over-reaction is called cytokine storm and it can be deadly.

“Two thousand hospital patients were given dexamethasone and were compared with more than 4,000 who did not receive the drug.

“For patients on ventilators, it cut the risk of death from 40 per cent to 28 per cent. For patients needing oxygen, it cut the risk of death from 25 per cent to 20 per cent.

“This is the only drug so far that has been shown to reduce mortality – and it reduces it significantly. It’s a major breakthrough,” he added.

Lead Researcher, Prof. Martin Landray, said the findings suggested that one life could be saved for every eight patients treated on ventilators.

“For those patients treated with oxygen, you save one life for approximately every 20-25 treated with the drug.

“There is a clear, clear benefit. The treatment is up to 10 days of dexamethasone and it costs about £5 per patient. So essentially it costs £35 to save a life. This is a drug that is globally available,” he added.

Drug Available in Nigeria, Says PSN

Reacting to the research finding, the President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Mr. Sam Ohuabunwa, said it meant good news in the battle against COVID-19 in the country as dexamethasone is available in Nigeria.

He also said the indefinite suspension of date for reopening worship centres by the Lagos State Government would make little or no difference in halting the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

Speaking exclusively to THISDAY yesterday, he said dexamethasone is a steroid, which can be used on a short-term basis in the treatment of inflammation, adding that it must be used on prescription.

He added that if used on a long-term basis, it could become injurious.

“If this drug has now been found to be useful in the treatment of serious cases of COVID-19, it will be nice because right now, there has not been a major breakthrough. It is available in Nigeria and it is a very old drug. But what the researchers in the UK are doing is trying to re-propose it.

“From my review, the report is not as spectacular as they are saying because a drug that can save one out of eight persons on ventilators and one out of 20 persons on oxygen is not so spectacular. I know one life is important, but I think the point they are making is that the body goes through inflammatory responses when one has COVID-19. So, it works more like a supportive therapy, not like a magical cure,” he said.

On the indefinite suspension of the decision to reopen worship centres by the Lagos State Government, he said it would be unfair to worship centres, especially because the government has opened markets and offices but singled out churches and mosques for closure.

“This is not a big step. If you are opening the doors for markets to operate for commercial activities and there is close contact, opening religious houses one day of the week and giving them mandate to follow strict health protocols won’t fuel more cases than what the markets and offices would.

“Singling out religious centres is too little to make a major impact. Religious houses are closed yet the infection is increasing. This means that it may not add any real value. I wished the government had closed down everywhere,” added.

Lagos Suspends Reopening of Worship Centres Indefinitely

Following rising cases of COVID-19, the Lagos State Government has suspended the plans to reopen churches and mosques until further notice.

The state, on June 4, had said mosques would be opened Friday, June 19 and churches, on Sunday, June 21.

But a statement issued yesterday by Sanwo-Olu, said the evaluation of evolving scenarios regarding the course of COVID-19 in the state and the corresponding public health advisory guidelines issued by experts necessitated the need for the state to reconsider the reopening of religious centres.

He said: “So, let me say this again: we are now hereby suspending, with immediate effect, the plan to re-open religious houses and places of worship in Lagos State until further notice. We will continue to monitor the situation closely, and continue to base our decision-making on data modelling as well as on the responsibility we have to act in a manner that ensures the protection of all residents.

“Therefore, until further notice, all places of worship in Lagos State will remain closed. Social and events centres, and social clubs, will also remain closed, for now.”

He warned that the state is now fully in the phase of personal responsibility regarding the pandemic, adding that this means that while the government maintains its responsibility to take protective decisions for the common good, what will ultimately save residents and defeat the virus is the sensible personal decisions taken on a daily basis.

He said: “Decisions to use masks anytime you are out of your house, to avoid non-essential travel, to stay at home when we don’t have any business being outside, to wash or sanitise our hands regularly – these are the simple but necessary steps that will save and protect us all.

“As a government, we will continue to do everything in our power to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the people, but that can only be effective when the people themselves act responsibly, and do not behave in a manner that undermines public health guidelines and puts the society at risk,” he said.

Nigeria Records 31 COVID-19 Deaths in One Day, 490 New Cases

For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, the country has recorded an all high 31 deaths in a single day, raising the number from 424 to 455 deaths in the last 24 hours.

It has also recorded 490 new cases of the virus, bringing to 17,148 the number of confirmed cases in the country.

Announcing this yesterday, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said Lagos recorded 142 new cases, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) 60, Bayelsa 54, Rivers 39, Delta 37, Oyo 30, Kaduna 26, Imo 23, Enugu 19, Kwara 17, Gombe 11, Ondo 10, Bauchi eight, Ogun seven, Borno six, while Benue recorded one case.

It said: “Nigeria has recorded 17,148 cases of COVID-19. 5,623 persons have been discharged, while 455 persons have died.”

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Resident doctors in the country have commenced an indefinite nationwide strike following the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government.

Among the demands of the doctors are immediate implementation of the revised hazard allowance and payment of the COVID-19 inducement allowance as “agreed by government and healthcare workers” three months ago. They also want an immediate payment of all arrears owed doctors in federal and state tertiary health institutions, arising from consequential adjustment of the national minimum wage.

Meanwhile, there is fear that the industrial action may worsen the poor doctor-to-patient ratio and increase the number of deaths due to coronavirus infection, although Sokombo said doctors treating Covid-19 patients were not going on strike immediately.

Several studies have shown that frequent healthcare workers’ strikes result in the closure of public healthcare institutions, thereby preventing Nigerians’ access to quality health services.

It was gathered that the resident doctors, who are the ‘militant arm’ of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), the umbrella body of all doctors in Nigeria, represent about 40 per cent of physicians in the country.

Contrary to the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation of 1:600 doctor-patient ratio, Nigeria currently has one doctor attending to 6,000 patients.

According to the NMA, there are 72,000 registered Nigerian doctors with over 50 percent practicing outside the country. Consequently, there are less than 40,000 doctors in an estimated population of 196 million.

This means that with the number of resident doctors in Nigeria put at about 16,000 (that is 40 per cent of 40,000), it will leave the country with just 24,000 doctors, including consultants and those in private practice. The situation will further reduce the country’s doctor-to-patient ratio from 1:6,000 to 1: 10,000.

Indeed, Nigeria is still far from the recommendations of the WHO on the required number of medical personnel to cater efficiently for its teeming population. However, figures from the Federal Government differ: the ratio of doctor-to-patient is 1: 2,753, which translates to 36.6 medical doctors per 100,000 persons.

Figures from the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) indicate that 74,543 medical doctors are registered with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) as at March 4, 2020.

The National Universities Commission (NUC) had in January 2020 said Nigeria needed about 300,000 medical doctors to meet the doctor-patient-ratio of 1:600 recommended by the WHO.

The Executive Secretary, NUC, Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, said the current “doctor-patient ratio in the country stands at 1: 3,500.”

According to him, the nation’s medical schools produce about 3,000 doctors yearly and this is not enough to achieve the WHO standards to deliver on health care services.

President of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Dr. Aliyu Sokomba, who announced commencement of the strike at a press conference yesterday in Abuja, said NARD’s members attending to Covid-19 patients at designated treatment and isolation centres were exempted from the strike for two weeks after which, if their demands were not met, they would also be co-opted to join the industrial action.

He explained that the exemption was in recognition of the intervention of the speaker of the House of Representatives, the chairman of the House Committee on Health Services and other stakeholders as well as a demonstration of NARD’s goodwill to Nigerians.

Meanwhile, there is fear that the industrial action may worsen the poor doctor-to-patient ratio and increase the number of deaths due to coronavirus infection, although Sokombo said doctors treating Covid-19 patients were not going on strike immediately.

Several studies have shown that frequent healthcare workers’ strikes result in the closure of public healthcare institutions, thereby preventing Nigerians’ access to quality health services.

It was gathered that the resident doctors, who are the ‘militant arm’ of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), the umbrella body of all doctors in Nigeria, represent about 40 per cent of physicians in the country.

Contrary to the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation of 1:600 doctor-patient ratio, Nigeria currently has one doctor attending to 6,000 patients.

According to the NMA, there are 72,000 registered Nigerian doctors with over 50 percent practicing outside the country. Consequently, there are less than 40,000 doctors in an estimated population of 196 million.

This means that with the number of resident doctors in Nigeria put at about 16,000 (that is 40 per cent of 40,000), it will leave the country with just 24,000 doctors, including consultants and those in private practice. The situation will further reduce the country’s doctor-to-patient ratio from 1:6,000 to 1: 10,000.

Indeed, Nigeria is still far from the recommendations of the WHO on the required number of medical personnel to cater efficiently for its teeming population. However, figures from the Federal Government differ: the ratio of doctor-to-patient is 1: 2,753, which translates to 36.6 medical doctors per 100,000 persons.

Figures from the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) indicate that 74,543 medical doctors are registered with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) as at March 4, 2020.

The National Universities Commission (NUC) had in January 2020 said Nigeria needed about 300,000 medical doctors to meet the doctor-patient-ratio of 1:600 recommended by the WHO.

The Executive Secretary, NUC, Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, said the current “doctor-patient ratio in the country stands at 1: 3,500.”

According to him, the nation’s medical schools produce about 3,000 doctors yearly and this is not enough to achieve the WHO standards to deliver on health care services.

Sokomba faulted the non-payment of the Covid-19 hazard inducement allowance to all health workers across the country in spite of repeated promises by government. He alleged insincerity of officials of the executive arm of government in paying the outstanding salary shortfall of 2014, 2015 and 2016 under the guise of appealing the decision of the National Industrial Court.

The NARD president expressed concern over the plight of members of the association in state hospitals such as the non- domestication and non-implementation of the Medical Residency Training Act, the non-implementation of appropriate salary structure, non-payment of salaries, and recently, the slashing of salaries of doctors and other healthcare workers by Kaduna and Kogi states.

Sokomba decried the sorry state of the healthcare delivery system in the country which, according to him, is characterized by perpetual unavailability of personnel protective equipment for workers in the hospitals with the attendant increase in infection rates and unnecessary suffering of patients and their relatives following the use of obsolete equipment, machines and technology.

NARD urged the governments to provide adequate personal protective equipment for all healthcare workers, ensure universal implementation of the Medical Residency Training Act in all federal and state hospitals and ensure pay parity among doctors of equal cadre.

The association advocated provision of funding for medical residency training in the 2021 Appropriation Bill even as it called for stoppage and immediate refund of all illegal, unjust and callous cut in salaries of its members by Kaduna and other states.

“We will continue to appreciate President Muhammadu Buhari for his commitment to the welfare of Nigerians. We appeal that he calls relevant agents/agencies to order from deliberately creating chaos to destabilize his administration. We appeal to our fellow lovely Nigerians to bear with us and understand this as a battle to save the almost dead health sector.

“NEC noted the commitment of the National Assembly to implementing the Medical Residency Training Act by ensuring inclusion of the residency funding into the reviewed 2020 budget.”

In a similar development, there is fear of scarcity of pharmaceutical products, especially those needed during this COVID-19 pandemic, as pharmacists in the country are planning to down tools in 14 days.

The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) yesterday petitioned President Buhari over the appointment of A. T. Mora as chairman of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), instead of Alhaji Yaro Budah whom it recommended to the minister for the position, threatening to go on an indefinite strike in two weeks if the decision was not reversed.

The PSN, in the petition titled “Rejection of A. T. Mora as Chairman Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN)”, urged the Federal Government to indefinitely suspend or cancel the inauguration of the PCN governing council with Mora as chairman.

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A 70-year-old American man who nearly died of coronavirus has been billed a heart-stopping $1.1 million for his hospital expenses.

Michael Flor was admitted to a hospital in the northwestern city on March 4, and stayed for 62 days, at one point, coming so close to death that nurses held up the phone so his wife and children could say goodbye, the Seattle Times reported Saturday.

But he recovered and was discharged on May 5 to the cheers of nursing staff only to receive a 181-page bill totalling $1,122,501.04 (₦433,532,351.67), he told the newspaper.

That includes $9,736 per day for the intensive care room, nearly $409,000 for its transformation into a sterile room for 42 days, $82,000 for the use of a ventilator for 29 days, and nearly $100,000 for two days when his prognosis was life-threatening.

Flor is covered by Medicare, a government insurance program for the elderly, and should not have to take out his wallet, according to the Times.

But in a country where health care is among the most expensive in the world and the idea of socializing it remains hugely controversial, he said he feels “guilty” knowing that taxpayers will bear much of the cost.

“It was a million bucks to save my life, and of course I’d say that’s money well-spent … But I also know I might be the only one saying that” the Times quoted him as saying.

A gigantic plan adopted by the US Congress to keep the American economy afloat through the coronavirus shutdowns includes a $100 million budget to compensate hospitals and private insurance companies that treated COVID-19 patients.

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Oyo State has recorded 68 new cases of COVID-19, the latest figures released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) have revealed.

In the figures released on Monday night, the 68 cases in Oyo were among the new 573 recorded in 20 states.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the latest figure in Oyo has brought the total COVID-19 cases in the state to 575.

Gov. Seyi Makinde, had, on Monday directed all categories of workers to resume work on June 22 as well as the resumption of classes for primary six pupils, Junior Secondary School III and Senior Secondary School III students on June 29.

He also announced the relaxation of the curfew imposed on the state as the curfew will now run between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. against the earlier period of between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m.

Makinde said that the decision was taken by the state COVID-19 task force headed by him and further announced opening up of Mosques and Churches, which were to operate at 25 per cent capacity.

Some residents have expressed fear over the upsurge in the number of COVID-19 cases in the, especially with the decision of the government to reopen schools and offices.

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An estimated 1.7 billion people — more than 20 percent of the world’s population — risk becoming severely infected with COVID-19 due to underlying health problems such as obesity and heart disease, analysis showed Tuesday.

The novel coronavirus, which has killed more than 420,000 people globally during the first wave of the pandemic, adversely effects patients suffering from co-morbidities.

A team of experts from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine analysed global data sets of illnesses including diabetes, lung disease and HIV used these to estimate how many people are at heightened risk of serious COVID-19 infection.

They found that one in five people have at least one underlying health problem putting them in greater danger.

While not all of those would go on to develop severe symptoms if infected, the researchers said around 4 percent of the global population — around 350 million) would likely get sick enough to require hospital treatment.

“As countries move out of lockdown, governments are looking for ways to protect the most vulnerable from a virus that is still circulating,” said Andrew Clark, who contributed to the study.

“This might involve advising people with underlying conditions to adopt social distancing measures appropriate to their level of risk.”

Clark said the findings could help governments make decisions on who receives a COVID-19 vaccine first when one becomes available.

Consistent with other studies about COVID risk, the authors found that older people are in greater danger of getting seriously unwell from the virus.

Less than 5 percent of people aged under 20 have an underlying risk factor, compared with two thirds of over 70s.

Countries with younger populations have fewer people with at least one underlying condition, but risks vary globally, according to the analysis.

Small island states such as Fiji and Mauritius have among the highest rates of diabetes — a known COVID-19 risk factor — on Earth, for example.

And countries with the highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS, such as eSwatini and Lesotho, also need to be vigilant, said authors of the research published in The Lancet.

In Europe, more than 30 percent of people have one or more health conditions, it showed.

Writing in a linked comment, Nina Schwalbe from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, said the study showed “it is time to evolve from a one-size-fits-all approach to one that centres on those most at risk.”

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Abuja, Kano, Gombe, Makurdi, Benin, Jos, Lagos — Medical experts have warned that Nigeria could experience dire consequences in the rate of COVID-19 cases and deaths if people continued to violate protective measures against the disease.

They said it was worrisome that many people violated wearing of face masks, physical and social distancing, and hygiene measures such as hand washing and use of hand sanitisers among others across the country.

Dr. Ejike Orji, Chairman, Medical Sub-Committee, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Ministerial Expert Advisory Committee on COVID-19 said that there would be a spike in cases, and that the country would be in serious trouble if the violation continued.

He said, “It is already happening. Abuja has been recording an average of 42 cases per day in the last two weeks.

“The isolation centres at the National Hospital, Abuja, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada and Asokoro District Hospitals are filled up.

“If we continue this way, we are going to be in serious trouble.”

He said a lot of people in Nigeria were asymptomatic to the disease because its population was largely youthful.

“70 % of our population is under the age of 30, that is also what is helping us.

“The disease is serious in people who are older and have co-morbidities like diabetes and hypertension.

“So young people can have it and feel nothing is wrong with them but be endangering their parents and older people around them.”

Dr. Omo Izedomwen, a public health expert said the country was already experiencing community transmission of the COVID-19 pandemic and that the only way to break it currently was to adhere to safety measures and restrictions instituted by the government .

Izedomwen, who is also the Coordinator of the Abuja Centre of the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) warned that disregarding the public safety measures comes with a cost, which people could regret later, adding “We can make choices but unfortunately cannot decide the consequences of these choices. And the consequences are very dire.”

He said the United States of America for instance had recorded over 100, 000 deaths already, saying these were people who once laughed and spent time with their loved ones.

Dr. Audu Onyemocho, an epidemiologist and an associate Professor of Community Medicine said the poor level of compliance by the public does not augur well for curbing the spread of the disease.

“The public should note that everyone is susceptible to COVID-19.

“It doesn’t show on the face, so the only way is to protect yourself and people around you,” he said.

As of yesterday, Nigeria had recorded 15, 682 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Of the number, 5, 101 cases have been discharged and 407 deaths recorded.

Findings by Daily Trust revealed that doubts about the existence of COVID-19 was still widespread among Nigerians in spite of the increasing number of cases. This is happening three months after the country recorded its first case of the disease.

Our reporters gathered that some of those who initially believed in the outbreak of the disease have grown complacent and abandoned hygiene measures to protect themselves.

Compliance across the FCT, states

A resident of Abuja, Ene John, said she initially believed the existence of the virus in the wake of the pandemic in Nigeria but after observing social distancing, quarantining at home and regular washing of hand for two months, she was tired of living in fear.

My Sylvester Obasoto said the low level of compliance stems from people’s belief that the government was using the virus to embezzle money.

“I was in a cab yesterday and a lady confidently declared that coronavirus doesn’t affect blacks.

“I saw a video clip too that explained that coronavirus only affects rich people.

“I think people need to be better informed about the dangers of not complying with preventive measures.

“Government should make provisions for protective equipment.

“Households and individuals have an active role to play too,” he said.

Emmanuela Chidera, a student in Nsugbe, Anambra State, told Daily Trust it was impossible for COVID-19 to thrive in Nigeria because of the intense heat.

Chidera said the federal and state governments have commercialised the disease, announcing fake COVID-19 positive cases to attract international sympathy, donor funds and debt relief.

Mr. Adekunle Eniolorunda, decried the high level of violation among the public saying it puts even those who believe the virus exists in the country at risk.

He called for improved sensitisation of the populace especially on the use of face masks.

Another resident of Abuja, Eneojo Abraham said since the index case was recorded in Lagos in February, all Nigerians see were figures churned by the NCDC and not the people affected by the virus.

Plateau

Residents of the Plateau state capital, Jos, are yet to fully comply with preventive measures announced by the government.

There are still mixed feelings among the people towards the coronavirus.

While some believe it exists, some think it is the virus for rich people and could not affect the poor.

A resident of Unguwar Rogo in Jos, Ahmed Hussain, said he still lives his life normally and relates with the people/society as usual because he doesn’t believe COVID-19 exists.

Benue

In Benue State, some citizens adhere to safety measures stipulated by the NCDC for the prevention of COVID-19 but others have carried on as if the virus does not exist in the country.

Our correspondent reports that while most people in Makurdi, the state capital are seen obeying rules to protect themselves against the virus, most in Otukpo, Gboko, Kastina-Ala and rural areas do not comply with protective measures.

Ada Ekoja, an Otukpo resident told our correspondent that people behaved that way because there was no disease called COVID-19, alleging that the ‘noise’ about the virus was orchestrated by the federal government to draw international sympathies to make money.

Kano

Despite the fact that Kano is one of the top five states with the highest COVID-19 cases, the attitude of the people towards the prevention protocols is poor; majority of the people go about their businesses without recourse to preventive guidelines.

Comrade Nafiu Gurka, a resident said the disease was not different from ordinary catarrh and cough.

Edo

In Edo state, many people violate use of face masks, social distancing and other protective measures till date.

Daily Trust observed that even commercial vehicles are not adhering to the approved numbers of passengers as some of them still overload their vehicles.

A barber, who gave his name as Jude said he doesn’t observe safety measures because coronavirus does not exist.

A resident, Christian Osadolor, said he does not comply with COVID-19 measures because government is just using it to create fear in people’s minds

Lagos

Compliance with COVID-19 measures is still poor in Lagos despite the fact that it has the highest number of cases.

A resident, Mukaila Tajudeen of Kolket Venture said the government failed to create adequate and sustainable awareness among the masses, added with corruption among Nigerian public office holders.

“So a lot of Nigerians believe that governments at all levels are just using COVID-19 to embezzle public funds.

“Take for instance, how many Nigerians benefited from the government’s palliative packages? They just claimed they gave palliatives to thousands of households.”

Gombe

In Gombe, residents expressed mixed reactions about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some are of the view that it was being exaggerated thus affecting the compliance level.

A public servant, Abubakar Uba said it was not as deadly as leaders across the world were projecting it.

Malam Muhammad, said it seemed to be a man-made pandemic amplified for sinister motives and against, which Allah has protected the weaker nations. He added however that he has a habit of washing his hands regularly even before COVID-19 pandemic.

Experts’ views

Dr. Francis Ohanyido, a public health expert said there was need for improved sensitisation of the populace on COVID-19.

He said the government should also ensure community engagement so that more people would be enlightened about it.

He added that the government should also include civil society organisations in the enlightenment process so that more people could be reached.

The Chairman, National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Plateau State Council, Briskila Dabit, said it was unfortunate that people still don’t believe the existence of COVID-19 in the state.

She said such mentality was the reason for the careless attitude of many persons towards the preventive measures.

She said anyone doubting the existence of the disease in the state should visit the isolation centers, particularly the one in Riyom in Plateau state to see the affected persons receiving treatment there.

Meanwhile, the Edo state epidemiologist, Dr. Uwa Okuarobo, said the state government has stepped up sensitisation campaign to keep the people abreast of government’s activities and the truth about COVID-19.

“There is lots of misinformation about COVID-19, and it is our duty to let them know that it is not a scam, nobody is falsifying figures or wants to use it to make money. It is affecting the whole world,” he said.

The Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr. Garba Abari said the NOA commenced community sensitisation of Nigerians on the reality, danger and preventive measures against the COVID-19 virus as set out by the NCDC.

He noted that the Agency produced video and audio awareness jingles on the disease in English, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba languages, and distributed them accordingly to all states of the Federation.

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The supply of safe blood is at risk due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, has said.

He said this was because regular blood donation drives had had to be postponed or deferred; while regulations for self-isolation, lockdown and fear of infection had hindered the usual blood donors from accessing blood donation centres.

He stated this in Abuja yesterday during a social media engagement with Nigerians to mark this year’s World Blood Donor Day.

He said transport and trade restrictions have also led to disruptions of global supply chains, putting countries at risk of shortages of critical supplies and equipment used for blood donation, processing, testing and transfusion to patients in need of blood.

He said the blood need of Nigeria with its over 200 million population was about two million units per year, but that much less than that was currently collected, leaving unmet needs that led to avoidable deaths, morbidities and ill-health.

He said his ministry was currently considering proposals for a major investment from public and private sectors to upgrade the capacity of the National Blood Transfusion Service to enable it to achieve its potential to produce blood components and plasma derived medicinal products at a commercial scale that meets international best standards.

Kingsley Odiabara, National Laboratory Manager, National Blood Transfusion Service, who represented National Coordinator Dr Oluwatoyin Smith, said voluntary blood donation among Nigerians was still very low.

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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), on Sunday, announced 403 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 16,085.

Thirteen deaths were recorded from the virus on Sunday bringing the total number of confirmed deaths from the virus to 420.

The health agency in a tweet Sunday night said the new cases were reported in 20 states.

These are Gombe, Lagos, Kano, Edo, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) , Nasarawa, Kaduna, Oyo, Abia, Delta, Borno, Plateau, Niger, Rivers, Enugu, Ogun, Kebbi, Ondo, Anambra and Imo

All the reporting states already had at least a case of the virus.

As of the time of reporting, 35 states and the FCT have recorded at least a case of the disease. Only one state, Cross River, is yet to report any case of the virus.

Gombe for the first time since the beginning of the outbreak recorded the highest daily figure of the infection. However, Lagos State remains the epicentre for the virus in the country.

According to NCDC, the 403 new cases are reported from 20 states: Gombe – 73, Lagos – 68, Kano- 46,, Edo- 36, FCT – 35, Nasarawa – 31, Kaduna – 17, Oyo – 16, Abia- 15, Delta – 13, , Borno – 13, Plateau – 8, , Niger – 7, Rivers – 7, , Enugu – 6, Ogun – 6, Kebbi – 3, Ondo – 1 Anambra – 1 and Imo – 1.

“Till date, 16085 cases have been confirmed, 5220 cases have been discharged and 420 deaths have been recorded in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory,” it stated.

BREAKDOWN

Since the onset of the outbreak in Nigeria in February, NCDC said 92, 924 samples have so far been tested.

As of the time of reporting, there are 10, 445 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, 5, 220 have recovered and have been discharged.

A breakdown of the 16, 085 confirmed cases shows that Lagos State has so far reported 7,103 cases, followed by FCT – 1, 247, Kano – 1, 137, Ogun – 559, Edo – 580, Oyo – 507, Rivers – 489, Kaduna – 446, Borno – 438, Katsina – 414, Bauchi – 410, Gombe – 410, Jigawa – 317, Delta – 267, Ebonyi – 162, Abia – 166, Kwara – 150, Plateau – 156, Nasarawa – 172, Imo – 136, Sokoto – 132, Zamfara – 76, Anambra – 65, Ondo – 64, Yobe – 55,Kebbi – 57, Enugu – 57, Osun – 50, Niger – 56, Akwa Ibom – 48 Adamawa – 42,, Benue – 34, Bayelsa – 32, Ekiti – 30, Taraba – 18, and Kogi – 3.

Many Nigerians believe the country has not done enough testing. Nigeria is also beginning to witness community transmission of the virus.

Elderly people and those with underlying health conditions are more at risk of contracting or dying from the virus.

NCDC in a tweet on Sunday said currently, there is no evidence that pregnant women are at higher risk of infection or complications from COVID-19

However, due to changes that may occur during pregnancy, pregnant women are advised to reduce risk of exposure by staying at home.

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A whopping 97 per cent of Nigerian businesses recorded losses during the lockdown over Covid-19 while 87 per cent said they have been negatively affected overall by by the pandemic, a nationwide survey has shown.

Titled the “National survey report on the impact of COVID-19 on Nigerian private sector,” the survey assessed the impact of the pandemic on medium and small scale businesses in Nigeria. It was conducted between March 9 and April 10 through e-questionnaire and telephone.

Most of the 13 per cent who said they have been “positively impacted” by the global health crisis operate in the health sector.

“Most of the benefiting businesses are in the healthcare, pharmaceutical sector offering essential services,” the report said, “or are currently exploring new opportunities despite the threat of the pandemic.”

For the 87 per cent who saw red, the report said this is because “majority of the countries they source their products from were on lockdown and many more have ceased operations.”

For Sanni Hassan, the CEO of D’Genius Exquisite Fashion House, the COVID-19 lockdown period gave his brand the opportunity to restrategise its service delivery and to reach “more online potential customers who have pledged patronage after the lockdown.”

In terms of their balance sheets, 97 per cent of the businesses surveyed said they recorded losses. The remaining three per cent managed to break even, the survey suggested.

Three-quarters of those who made losses said they lost $1 million or lower due to the lockdown and travel ban.

A quarter of the businesses that recorded losses (25 per cent) said they incurred more than $2 million in revenue loss. This includes 20 per cent who said they recorded losses from $2 to $3 million and five per cent who lost $3 million and above.

“We suffered some revenue losses with respect to campaigns we had earlier planned before the pandemic and our various scheduled classes,” Ibrahim Oredola, team lead at SkillNG, a startup training youth in digital and employment readiness skills, told PREMIUM TIMES.

Revenue loss has in turn forced some businesses to lay-off workers to cut expenditure on overheads.

Mr Hassan said although he incurred “no loss,” his profit margin fell due to the fall in consumers’ spending capacity.

“Before, for instance, when we reach out to 100 people, we can get like 20 clients, but now we need to reach 200 or more to get that number of clients,” he said.

More so, the report found that 72 per cent of the businesses surveyed experienced a contraction in job creation due to the pandemic, which has in turn resulted in them reducing staff strength.

Nigeria’s statistics bureau had said not less than four in every ten Nigerians (42 per cent) who were working before the outbreak of coronavirus in the country lost their jobs due to the impact of COVID-19, in April.

Mr Ibrahim said his company had to explore full online learning experience as opposed to its blended former offline learning approach to maintain its staff list.

Focusing more on establishing a stronger emotional connection with their users “than just trying to sell products to them” is the way Ojuolape Toheeb, CEO of Tell!, an online African startup headquartered in Nigeria, said his brand is keeping afloat.

Yet, the report said the inability of businesses to maintain their payroll has been further compounded because 60 per cent of the country’s private companies said they do not have any insurance policy or risk management system on their radar.

“The absence of a risk management system is perceived to be among the strongest reasons for the sudden flop of many of the private sector businesses,” the report said.

It said about 89 per cent of the businesses expressed “interest to have insurance policy in place in order to shield them from subsequent or future global crises.”

Also, more than two-thirds of the respondents said their pre-COVID-19 business travel plan to source for products and raw materials was truncated by the lockdown.

The effect of this is far-reaching because 43 per cent of the businesses said they source their products and raw materials from China, with only 19 per cent doing so within Africa.

“This explains the dominant position of China in the country’s supply chain and it partly reveals the low level of trade between Nigeria and other African countries,” the report read.

“This strong external dependence of the economy on foreign nations especially outside Africa can be attributed to the severity COVID-19 will have on the economy.”

The research

The research was conducted by Africa International Trade and Commerce Research, the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), O-analytics Research and Development Initiative (ORADI) and International Trade and Research Centre (ITRC). The researchers captured data from 100 businesses. The Key Informant Interview (KII) used telephone techniques.

The businesses, the report said, comprised over 66 per cent micro and small businesses managed by Nigerians with less than 10 staff and large enterprises that are into international trade.

Eighty-eight per cent of the businesses surveyed are Nigerian owned, eight per cent have Nigerian and foreign ownership structure, while four per cent are owned by foreigners.

Recommendations

To absorb the shock caused by the pandemic, the report suggested expanding the N3.5 trillion stimulus package rolled out by the CBN for households and businesses.

“Beyond this, the government should develop a system of transparency and accountability in a way and manner this fund is spent,” the report said. “A control system should be set up to enhance close monitoring, measurement and evaluation of public spending.

Also, there is a need to ratify the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCTA) as the survey found that only 19 per cent of Nigerian businesses source their products and raw material from African countries. Meanwhile, 79 per cent said they have interest in sourcing their products from the continent if trade across African borders is eased.

The private sector was also urged to “secure corporate insurance policy and put a risk management system in place,” a window for the insurance industry to thrive, as most of the affected Nigerian businesses have no risk management system in place but are now willing to have one.

“The private sector should establish an insurance policy that mitigates against corporate internal or external uncertainty. Nigeria private sector business should also leverage on the current situation to diversify their business.

“Micro, small and medium enterprises should be flexible to explore deliverables in sectors made active by the pandemic. Some sectors whose products and services will be in active demand throughout the period of the pandemic are healthcare, e-commerce businesses, agriculture, telecommunication amongst others.”

More than before, businesses need to increase the use of technology and e-marketplace platforms, be it for meetings, customer services, promotion and marketing, procurement to reduce cost and increase in efficiency, during this COVID-19 and post COVID-19 pandemic, Mr Ibrahim said.

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