The Nation Newspaper

Category: CORONAVIRUS

  • Africa’s virus cases exceed 11.1m

    Africa’s virus cases exceed 11.1m

    NO fewer than 11,104,160 COVID-19 cases were reported in Africa as of Saturday evening, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said.

    The specialised healthcare agency of the African Union said the COVID-19 death toll across the continent stands at 246,584, while 10,254,788 patients have recovered from the disease so far.

    South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya and Ethiopia are among the countries with the most cases on the continent, said the Africa CDC.

    South Africa has recorded the most COVID-19 cases in Africa with 3,654,824 cases, followed by Morocco with 1,158,145 cases, Tunisia with 979,612 and Libya with 482,153.

    In terms of caseload, southern Africa is the most affected region in Africa, followed by the northern and eastern parts of the continent, while central Africa is the least affected region.

    Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) said, if current trends continue, the continent can control the pandemic in 2022. However, it warned that continued vigilance is key.

    Over the last two years, the continent has witnessed four waves of COVID-19, each with higher peaks or more total new cases than the previous one.

    The surges have been mostly driven by new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus-which were highly transmissible though not necessarily more fatal than prior waves. Each subsequent wave has triggered a response that has been more effective than the previous, with each surge shorter by 23% on average from the one before. While the first wave lasted about 29 weeks, the fourth wave was over in six weeks, or about a fifth of the time.

    “Over the past two years, the African continent has gotten smarter, faster and better at responding to each new surge in cases of COVID-19,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “Against the odds, including huge inequities in access to vaccination, we’ve weathered the COVID-19 storm with resilience and determination, informed by Africa’s long history and experience with controlling outbreaks. But COVID-19 has cost us dearly, with more than 242 000 lives lost and tremendous damage to our economies.”

    According to the World Bank, the COVID-19 pandemic is estimated to have pushed up to 40 million people into extreme poverty on the continent, and every month of delay in lifting containment measures is estimated to cost Africa US$ 13.8 billion in lost gross domestic product.

     

  • Queen Elizabeth tests positive

    Queen Elizabeth tests positive

    BRITISH monarch Queen Elizabeth II has tested positive for COVID-19, Buckingham Palace confirmed this in a statement yesterday.

    According to the palace, the Queen is experiencing “mild cold-like symptoms” but will continue “light duties” at Windsor over the coming week.

    “She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines,” the palace said.

    The Queen had been in contact with her eldest son and heir, the Prince of Wales, who tested positive last week.

    Charles, who has received jabbed thrice, contracted the virus for the second time after testing positive for the disease in March 2020.

    After the contact, the palace had said the Queen would be ‘closely monitored’ by doctors.

    People with COVID-19 won’t be legally required to self-isolate in England starting in the coming week, the United Kingdom (UK)  government has announced, as part of a plan for “living with COVID-19” that is also likely to see testing for the coronavirus scaled back.

    Prime Minister Boris Johnson said ending all of the legal restrictions brought in to curb the spread of the virus will let people in the U.K. “protect ourselves without restricting our freedoms.” He is expected to lay out details of the plan in Parliament on Monday.

    “I’m not saying that we should throw caution to the winds, but now is the moment for everybody to get their confidence back,” Johnson told the BBC in an interview broadcast.

    “We’ve reached a stage where we think you can shift the balance away from state mandation, away from banning certain courses of action, compelling certain courses of action, in favour of encouraging personal responsibility.”

    But some of the government’s scientific advisers said it was a risky move that could bring a surge in infections and weaken the country’s defences against more virulent future strains.

    Wes Streeting, health spokesman for the main opposition Labour Party, accused Johnson of “declaring victory before the war is over.”

    Johnson’s Conservative government lifted most virus restrictions in January, scrapping vaccine passports for venues and ending mask mandates in most settings apart from hospitals in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which set their own public health rules, also have opened up, although more slowly.

    A combination of high vaccination rates in the U.K. and the milder omicron variant means easing restrictions didn’t lead to a surge in hospitalisations and deaths. Both are falling, though the UK still has Europe’s highest coronavirus toll after Russia, with more than 160,000 recorded deaths.

    In Britain, 85% of people age 12 and up have had two vaccine doses and almost two-thirds have had a third booster shot.

    Now the Conservative government said it will remove “all remaining domestic COVID-19 regulations that restrict public freedoms” as part of a “move away from government intervention to personal responsibility.”

    The legal requirement to isolate for at least five days after a positive COVID-19 test will be replaced with advisory measures, and the coronavirus will be treated more like the flu as it becomes endemic.

    The new plan foresees vaccines and treatments keeping the virus in check, though the government said “surveillance systems and contingency measures will be retained” if needed.

     

  • Taraba, Borno, Adamawa accounted for 73% of cholera cases in January

    Taraba, Borno, Adamawa accounted for 73% of cholera cases in January

    THREE states – Taraba, Borno and Adamawa – recorded 345 cases of cholera in January, accounting for 73 per cent of all the cholera cases across the country.

    A data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), which stated this, also noted that between January 3 to 30, a total of 470 cholera cases were reported with nine deaths from Taraba, Zamfara (two) and Lagos State (one).

    Since the beginning of the year, ten (10) states have reported at least one case of cholera. The states are: Taraba (201), Borno (88), Adamawa (56), Bayelsa (34), Kwara (30), Zamfara (28), Lagos (24), Abia (4), Bauchi (4) and Cross River (1).

    According to the agency, “in the reporting week 04 (January 24 to 30, 2022), two states reported 50 suspected cases – Taraba (35) and Bayelsa (15). There was 49 per cent decrease in the number of new suspected cases in week 03 (98) compared with week 04 (50). Taraba State with 35 accounted for 70 per cent of 50 suspected cases reported in week 04.

    “During the reporting week, 7 Cholera Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) was conducted. RDT conducted were from Taraba (6) and Bayelsa (1). Of this, a total of 3 (43 per cent) were positive, 1 stool culture was conducted. Stool culture conducted was from Bayelsa (1).

    “Of this, none (0 per cent) was positive. Of the cases reported, there were two deaths from one state reporting with a weekly case fatality ratio (CFR) of 4.0 per cent. One new state reported cases in week 04. National Multi-sectoral Cholera TWG continues to monitor response across states.

    “As of January 30, 2022, a total of 470 suspected cases including 9 deaths (CFR 1.9 per cent) have been reported from 10 states in 2022. Of the suspected cases since the beginning of the year, the age group less than 5 years is the most affected age group for male and female. Of all suspected cases, 45 per cent are males and 55 per cent are females.

    “Three states – Taraba (201 cases), Bono (88 cases) and Adamawa (56 cases) accounted for 73 per cent of all cumulative cases. Ten Local Government Areas (LGAs) across five states – Borno (3), Adamawa (2), Taraba (1), Bayelsa (1) and Kwara (1), reported more than 10 cases each this year.”

    Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Cholera remains a global threat to public health and an indicator of inequity and lack of social development.

    The disease is an extremely virulent disease that can cause severe acute watery diarrhoea. It takes between 12 hours and five days for a person to show symptoms after ingesting contaminated food or water. Cholera affects both children and adults and can kill within hours if untreated.

  • How COVID-19 doses saved me from dying, by FCT minister

    How COVID-19 doses saved me from dying, by FCT minister

    Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Muhammad Bello, at the weekend, claimed he would have passed away, if he had not taken the first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

    Bello, who on December 31, 2021, tested positive for COVID-19, said: “Although I was not hospitalised, I was quarantined in my residence for three weeks because subsequently, even after taking the medication, I tested positive twice. It was the third time that I got a negative result. If I had not taken the first and second doses, probably what happened to many of my dear ones would have happened to me.”

    Bello, after taking his booster shot, described his unpleasant encounter with the disease: “I tell you, even the mildness of the disease was something else because it hits you in many directions.  When I had it, no matter how strong I felt during the day, for about 15, 20 minutes around 6pm, when I’m seated, I just dropped asleep and then after 15 minutes, I would turn up again. This is aside from the sore throat, the headaches and all the weakness you get, especially in your joints. I had to change my course of medicine after the first 10 days.

    “For three weeks, I was not productive. I didn’t go out of the house. I never had a chance to do my work and the multiplier effect was tremendous because even now, I’m just trying to cope, to clear all those files that I was not able to handle when I was under quarantine.”

    Read Also: ‘No shortage in provision of vaccines in Edo’

    Thanking the Federal Government for ensuring the availability of the vaccines for Nigerians, he urged residents to get vaccinated because the vaccines indeed save lives.

    “I tell you, from the figures I got from our Public Health Department, a hundred per cent of the deaths that we experienced in the FCT during the last few weeks as a result of COVID-19 were from those who were not vaccinated. So, the thing is that for those that are vaccinated, chances are that their cases will be mild, like my own case.

    “So, my message to us is: let us all get vaccinated. For those who have been vaccinated for the first and second dose, I advise them to go for the booster shots. I will take all the recommended shots because I don’t want to go through what I went through again.”

    Secretary for Health and Human Services of the FCTA Dr. Abubakar Tafida said 433,000 people in the FCT have taken the first dose and 286,000 have had the second dose and so far, about 12,000 have taken the booster shot.

    Tafida said since November 30, when he assumed office as the Secretary for Health, 16 deaths occurred as a result of COVID-19 and none of the victims had been vaccinated.

    Other officials of the FCTA, including the Chief of Staff to the Minister, Bashir Mai-Bornu, also took the booster shot after the minister.

     

  • ‘No shortage in provision of vaccines in Edo’

    ‘No shortage in provision of vaccines in Edo’

    Edo State Commissioner for Health Prof. Obehi  Akhoria has maintained that there is no shortage in the provision of COVID-19 vaccines in the Southsouth state.

    Akhoria stated this yesterday through the phone, while reacting to allegations by some residents of the state.

    Some stakeholders in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area, who spoke in confidence, earlier alleged that many people had been queuing up for many days for their second and booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccines, without success.

    But, the commissioner said: “I can tell you for sure that we are not short of vaccines (COVID-19).”

    Akhoria also assured that he would make some enquiries to ascertain what actually happened.

    The commissioner later forwarded to our reporter through WhatsApp, a response she received from a top official, Dr. M.H. Iraoya.

    The message stated: “I spent the whole of my annual leave at Akoko-Edo Local Government Area. I monitored the LGA all through the MVC, on behalf of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the agency. There are no persons anywhere in Akoko-Edo LGA queuing for COVID-19 vaccinations.

    “It is a known fact that towards the end of the MVC, there was no AstraZeneca vaccine in the state or LGAs, and we could not give AstraZeneca as second dose to those who did not have it as first dose.

    “Just yesterday, our CCO went to the State Cold Store and took delivery of 500 doses of AstraZeneca, 120 doses of Pfizer and QR code/cards . We do not have Moderna.

    “Arising from the fact that COVID-19 campaign has ended, the agency is in the process of adopting a facility-based COVID-19 vaccination in the facilities with very high-flowing clients in all 18 LGAs, and also to create awareness among the people in the LGAs, particularly on where they could get COVID-19 vaccination.”

    Iraoya also assured that the COVID-19 vaccines would always be available in the state’s 18 LGAs.

     

  • Why vaccination is low in Southeast, by NPHCDA

    Why vaccination is low in Southeast, by NPHCDA

    The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has cautioned executive secretaries of the state Primary Health Care Development Agencies in the Southeast to stop sidelining the ministries of health in the five states in activities that concern COVID-19 vaccination and childhood immunisation.

    Its Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, gave the warning during the Southeast Zone primary health care and COVID-19 vaccination review meeting in Enugu.

    Shuaib lamented that the Southeast Zone was curiously lagging behind in COVID-19 vaccination despite doing exceptionally well in routine immunisation, otherwise known as childhood vaccination.

    Shuaib: Southeast behind in projected 100,000 vaccination figure

    According to him, Southeast was projected to vaccinate about 100, 000 persons per day, but had an abysmal turnout of about 6,000 vaccinated persons per day.

    He said apart from the disinformation about the COVID-19 vaccination in the region, the infighting between the executive secretaries of state Primary Health Care Development Agencies in Southeast and their health commissioners over the disbursement of funds sent from the NPHCDA was causing major setback for the programme.

    “Executive secretaries must work with commissioners to improve COVID-19 vaccination and routine immunization. The infighting between commissioners and executive secretaries is not helping the programme,” he said.

    Shuaib urged the people of Southeast to rise up and show leadership in COVID-19 vaccination like they had always done in such issues like childhood immunisation and other preventable vaccinations.

    He said: “Southeast is one of the zones that does exceptionally well when it comes to routine immunisation, which we also call childhood vaccination. But it’s not the case with COVID-19 vaccination. We understand that Igbo people are literate enough to understand that vaccination is protective.

    “But we also know that because of the permeation of the social media, especially in the Southeast where there’s a high rate of literacy, people look at the information going on in the social media and get distracted.

    “That is why we want to debunk all of this misinformation in Southeast so that people will have the correct information about what COVID-19 vaccination is all about. “We want people to join us tomorrow and ask their questions. Today, however, we want to look at the barriers to the vaccination.

    “Vaccine hesitancy is a global problem. Even in Nigeria, we had to borrow from some of the measures that have been used while contextualising these methods to address vaccine hesitancy.

    “We know, like we had in the polio eradication programme that there was a lot of misconceptions and misinformation about even polio vaccine. But eventually, while we worked together, we were able to eradicate polio viruses in August of 2020.

    “By the same token, I feel pretty confident that one of the outcomes of this meeting today, will be an opportunity to align behind the strategies that will help us to overcome vaccine hesitancy in the Southeast.

    “I also feel confident when I look around Southeast, I see public health expert, who are passionate about public health. I see people who have spent so many years doing the right things. I see people who are leaders not only in the health sector, but in all ramifications of the society.”

    We will improve vaccination in the zone, says Ugwuanyi

    Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who was represented by his deputy, Mrs. Cecelia Ezeilo, expressed optimism that with the ongoing review programme, Southeast would improve in Covid-19 vaccination.

    The governor urged the PHCDA executive secretaries in the Southeast to take the message to traditional rulers so as to educate their subjects to come out for vaccination.

    The governor admitted that the recent statistics of daily and total aggregate COVID-19 vaccinated figures from the zone remained low compared with other zones in the country.

    “We are assuring the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), after this review meeting, that we are going to work harder as a zone to up-scale our efforts.

    “We will adopt the appeal of Sen. Chukwuka Utazi, on the need for our people to renew their vigour for COVID-19 mass vaccination intake in the South-East,” he said.

    Ask questions about immunisation, Southeast people urged

    Chairman, Senate Committee on Primary Health care and Communicable Diseases, Senator Chukwuka Utazi, urged the people of Southeast to brace and ask themselves questions about the vaccination.

    Utazi, who is the Senate Committee Chairman for Primary Health Care, said the meeting was important to the South-East to resolve issues of hesitancy, low awareness and outright rejection of the ongoing COVID-19 mass vaccination.

    Utazi, who spoke in Igbo language, urged residents of the South-East to have a re-think on their acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination, adding that they should jettison all forms of unfound rumours about the vaccination.

    “We must have a re-think and speed up the COVID-19 vaccination rate; our people are highly educated and knowledgeable on global issues, especially the positive benefits of the COVID-19 mass vaccination.

    “We are business people in the zone and we need to be healthy to do our businesses well, which brings us to the need to ensure that COVID-19 pandemic is dealt with in the zone,” he said.

  • Cases dropped by 70% in 24 hours, says NCDC

    Cases dropped by 70% in 24 hours, says NCDC

    Epidemiological data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) showed that in 24 hours, COVID-19 cases dropped by 70 per cent across the country.

    According to the data, between January 25 to 26, 2022, confirmed COVID-19 cases dropped from 250 to 75. However, in one week, 11 people were killed by the disease.

    Additionally, NCDC data as of January 26, showed that the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nigeria was 252,753, number of discharges was 228,137, while the number of deaths reported was 3,134.

    In related development, data obtained by The Nation from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) showed that as of January 26, 14,389,796 of the total eligible persons targetted for COVID-19 vaccination were reached with the first dose. Also, 5,312,081 were reached with second dose (fully vaccinated). In total, 19,701,877 people have received at least one dose of the lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines.

    Read Also: Lassa kills 26 in three weeks, says NCDC

    Nasarawa, Jigawa, Ogun, Kwara states and FCT are the most performing states with respect to COVID-19 vaccination across the country, according to the NPHCDA.

    While most states in the Southeast and Southsouth continue to lag behind in vaccination, 76 per cent of the eligible population in the Northwest states are yet to receive their second dose. In total, 36.9 per cent of eligible population across the country are yet to receive their second dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

    According to a statement by the NPHCDA, “Meet our top five performing states on the COVID-19 mass vaccination campaign in Nigeria. Jigawa has joined Nasarawa to vaccinate at least 50 per cent of their eligible population with the first dose. Top five performing states have vaccinated at least 20 per cent of their eligible population with the first dose.”

    While the Federal Government continues to urge Nigerians to get vaccinated against the deadly virus, it also enjoins all to adhere strictly to the non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) of regular hand washing with soap under flowing water, use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers, proper wearing of face masks, practicing social distancing and avoiding large gatherings.

     

  • WHO chief prepares for second term after board’s nod

    WHO chief prepares for second term after board’s nod

    Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is set for a second term as head of the World Health Organisation after the global health body’s executive board nominated him yesterday as the sole candidate for a procedural leadership vote in May.

    Tedros thanked the board for its support over the past five years and laid out the challenges ahead as the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “Of course, the last two years have been difficult. The whole world is sick and tired. They want to have the pandemic behind them. Families want to get together again, children would like to go back to school without any fear,” he said.

    “But we are still challenged by omicron,” he said, but stressed that the world has the tools to fight the virus.

    “I believe that in 2022, the acute phase of the pandemic will be over because all of us are sick and tired.”

    Tedros’ nomination was finalized a day after he came under fire from Zenebe Kebede Korcho, Ethiopia’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva.

    Zenebe tried to make a speech accusing Tedros, who is of Tigrayan descent and previously served as the foreign and health minister of Ethiopia, of acting “at the expense of the interests of Ethiopia.”

    Tedros was previously criticised by Ethiopian authorities for his views on the government’s blockade on health aid for Tigray during the recent conflict in the northern Ethiopian region.

    Zenebe was halted by WHO Executive Board chair Patrick Amoth on a procedural ruling.

    “Further discussion of the matter is not germane and is therefore out of order under the relevant rules of procedure,” said Amoth, who is from Kenya, one of the 28 countries that have nominated Tedros for a second term at the helm of the WHO.

  • Nigerian spends $298m to procure J&J vaccines, says UNICEF

    Nigerian spends $298m to procure J&J vaccines, says UNICEF

    The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) yesterday revealed that the Federal Government has spent $298 million for the procurement of Johnson and Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccines, amounting to 39 million doses.

    Speaking during a COVID-19 vaccination briefing Organised by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) in Abuja, the UNICEF Country Representative, Peter Hawkins, said: “We must congratulate the NPHCDA and all the states SPHCDAs for the increase in utilisation rate of all COVID-19 vaccines at the states level.

    “There are some days where over 200,000 people have been vaccinated in a day. This is an incredible achievement given where we started from. The challenge now is to ensure that we remain at the minimum of 200,000 a day, and increase that to 300,000 a day so that we can meet our targets during the course of 2022.

    “We are very pleased to announce that Nigeria has now received over 60 million vaccines; in 2021, just over 40 million were received, and so far in 2022, 21.9 million vaccines have been received and given to Nigeria.

    “Thirty-nine millions of these in total were procured by the Nigerian Government in ensuring the vaccines are available. The remaining have been donated by the international community through COVAX, which is the GAVI, WHO, UNICEF and SEPI alliance that have procured and ensured that they are delivered to countries all over the world, including Nigeria.

    “The issue of expired vaccines has been dealt with successfully in January this month. Looking forward, we will be able to utilise vaccines more and equitably across the country, given that the expiry dates of the vaccines are much wider.

    “$298 million have been used by the Nigerian Government for the procurement of J&J vaccines. In total, it would be 39 million J&J vaccines that is a commitment as it becomes available and as it is required.

    “Nigeria so far, in actual figure, has received 51,014,114 vaccines, but committed is 41,847,000 vaccines. There are 10 million vaccines that are being stored and ready to come into Nigeria, which is a discrepancy between 61 million I talked about earlier and 51 million that is actually being received in Nigeria.”

    In his remarks, the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, said from the agency’s record as of yesterday, 14,093,873 eligible persons have received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in Nigeria, while 5,252,406 eligible Nigerians have been fully vaccinated.

    Shuaib said: “However, as one would expect, these results are not evenly distributed across the states of the federation.

    “Our deep dive into state performances reveals that Nasarawa, Jigawa, FCT, Ogun and Kwara have remained the top five performing states on COVID-19 vaccine uptake. It is noteworthy to mention that Jigawa and Lagos have each vaccinated about 1.5million eligible Nigerians with the first dose, while FCT, Nasarawa, Lagos and Delta are leading on second dose administration with more than 10 per cent of eligible populations in each of the states already vaccinated.

    “Last year, the daily Covid-19 vaccination coverage was about 100,000 people per day. Between December 2021 and January 2022, we have more than doubled this vaccination rate to over 200,000 per day. It is pertinent to reiterate the fact that till date, Nigeria has not recorded any death arising from COVID-19 vaccination.

    “In line with his exemplary leadership style, President Muhammadu Buhari received his booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday the 21st of December 2021. So far, 416,980 Nigerians have received their booster dose.”

  • 1,628 Delta’s vulnerable households to benefit from recovery social transfer

    No fewer than 1,628 poor and vulnerable households have been targetted to benefit from the COVID-19 action recovery social transfer in Delta.

    Permanent Secretary, Delta State Ministry of Women Affairs, Community and Social Development Mrs. Kevwe Agas said the social transfer was a World Banks sponsored programme

    Agas explained that the scheme aimed at alleviating the impact of COVID-19 on the vulnerable households in the country.

    She stated these yesterday, at a three-day Orientation and Community Mobilisation and Sensitization Training for Local Government Social Transfer Facilitators  in Kwale, Ndokwa West Local Government Area of the state.

    According to her, it is a World Bank sponsored programme which has been domesticated in Delta in partnership with the Federal Government COVID -19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) to enable it impact the poor and vulnerable in the state.

    “A lot of people were impoverished as a result of COVID-19 pandemic, so the programme is to help the beneficiaries recover from the impact of the pandemic and to alleviate poverty in many households across the state.

    “The programme is divided into three results areas and what we are doing here  today is one of the result areas being anchored by the Cash Transfer Office  and they are training the social facilitators from the pilot LGAs in the state,” she said.

    She said the programme was a rear privilege and that the beneficiaries should be grateful, adding that Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa and his team did all they could to ensure that Delta benefited from the social transfer programme.

    Agas also charged the trainees (facilitators) to be steadfast and committed to achieving results as they go about the selected local government areas to validate the list of beneficiaries in the state.

    On her part, Mrs Patience Osharode, Technical Head, Delta State COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (D-CARES) Social Transfer, disclosed that 1,628 poor and vulnerable households from six LGAs would benefit from the programme.