We need to increase laboratory testing of contacts of positive COVID-19 cases
by this lockdown, making one to suggest that our leaders should spend their security votes to secure the health and wellbeing of the citizens during the lockdown.
The lockdown will definitely have adverse effects on the social and economic wellbeing of the general population, especially those who must work on a daily basis for their livelihood. There should be a relief package for such groups of Nigerians
Is there anything more important than the health and economic security of the average citizen, and by extrapolation…the nation? Now is time to release those security votes to save the lives of the citizens that will be mortally affected by the lockdown. Yes, reducing the price of a litre of petrol goes some way to alleviate the economic hardship, but such measures rarely trickle down to the stomach of Mr. Average Citizen.
What can the public do to curb spread?
There are standard safety and preventive guidelines that the public must comply with and regard as a matter of life or death. Wash hands with soap and water as often as possible, maintain the social distance, when you cough or sneeze cover your mouth and generally, maintain a high level of hygiene and cleanliness etc.
As a virologist, what is your view on the cure or quick recovery for positive patients? Chloroquine for instance has
been on the front burner of public discourse?
So far, there is no proven cure for the disease. In the famous words of Dr Fauci, Director US National Institutes of Health, these cure claims are anecdotal. All the doctors can do now is to take care of the patients according to the symptoms shown.
What do you think of the testing procedure for COVID-19 in the country?
Could be better, the NCDC is doing the best it can with available resources. The WHO says test, test and test; and in our style we will ask; How many times did WHO say we should test? The answer is three times.
Our NCDC is stopping at test only, that is only one third of what WHO suggests. Why? because there are not enough testing centres, nor do we have enough testing kits and reagents. Now the NCDC is expanding the number of testing centres to ensure that all states of the country have easy and direct access to a testing enter.
Fortunately, there are existing centres funded by foreign partners and spread all over the country. These centres can be repurposed for COVID-19 testing. There are no less than 300 of these centres, not to mention the centres that were established for avian influenza diagnostic sites in Ibadan, Vom, Kaduna and many other parts of the country.
We have all it takes, but we will not take all we have to