COVID-19 infections jump 324% in one month

Analysis of COVID-19 cases obtained from the Nigeria Center for Disease Control revealed a sharp increase of 324% in the number of COVID-19 cases reported in the country in one month.
As many as 568 cases were reported in the country between May 12, 2022 and June 12, 2022.

However, between June 13, 2022 and July 12, 2022, no less than 2,407 cases were reported, resulting in a sharp increase of 323.76% in the number of positive cases.

The PUNCH reports that the increase comes amid a warning of a potential fifth wave of the pandemic.

The NCDC, in a public health advisory it issued before Salah's break, had warned Nigerians of the possibility of a fifth wave of the pandemic.

"As we celebrate, we urge Nigerians to prevent the onset of a full-fledged fifth wave of COVID-19 by remaining aware of the high risk of the spread of COVID-19 and acting accordingly. tandem while adhering to recommended public health safety measures,” the NCDC said in its advisory.

So far, a total of 258,874 positive cases have been reported in Nigeria since the start of the pandemic in 2020. While 250,456 have been discharged, 3,144 have lost their lives.
COVID-19 cases have continued to rise in some parts of the world.

In the UK, for example, authorities say COVID restrictions could be reintroduced if a growing number of cases impact the national health system.

That's when official UK data revealed that 2.7 million people in private households were believed to have had COVID-19 in the past week, up from 18 % compared to 2.3 million the previous week.

But Nigerian experts have said that the election and rainy seasons in Nigeria will further help the coronavirus to thrive in the country.

In an interview with The PUNCH, Marycelin Baba, Professor of Medical Virology at the University of Maiduguri, said: "COVID-19 is an abnormal virus. It thrives more whenever it is cold.As you may have noticed, Nigeria experiences incessant rains, cold weather, and coupled with election activities where politicians drop non-pharmaceutical procedures among others. So, with the weather and political activities, the cases are sure to increase.

Another health expert from Adekunle Ajasin University, Professor Victor Olumekun said, "We have virulent variants coming. The virus hasn't gone anywhere, the only thing is that it's not as deadly as it used to be as we approach herd immunity.

"It means the virulence will go down and the infectivity; it doesn't mean it's gone. People who haven't been vaccinated yet should go and do it."
The National President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr Uche Ojinmah, in an interview with The PUNCH, said: "There is a Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 Control headed by the SGF boss Mustapha, and everything has to follow the rules, there is a quarantine law that grants a lot of power to the president and you can't blame the politicians because there is a law that regulates that.

"The fundamental truth is that everyone does their best to protect themselves within the limits of reality. It is NMA's advice that they should give this information to the Presidential Steering Committee so that they can make a decision and address the nation, if there is a need for lockdown it should be done immediately.

@There has been a disregard for COVID-19 protocols around the world, people are now boarding a flight without a COVID 19 test, it's hard to pin down a certain group of the population, the markets are crowded and the religious gatherings are packed, so unless the regulations regarding this change, we cannot blame the politicians. »

Also speaking to The PUNCH, Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, Dr Alfa Yusuf said: "The increase in cases of Covid-19 is not surprising because we have generally abandoned the measures put in place, we no longer avoid crowded places, people do not use face masks and do not wash their hands regularly, all of this has led to an increase in COVID-19 cases.

"To our politicians, I would like to inform them that the virus is still with us and is on the increase and I am sure that the relevant bodies will soon take the necessary measures. There are regulations that everyone is supposed to follow including politicians and if such regulations don't prevent them from attending election campaigns then you can't blame them but with cases on the rise we except a new one directive that will prevent the spread of the coronavirus."

NCDC warns Nigerians

Meanwhile, the NCDC on its verified Facebook page warned N...

Politics Jul 13, 2022 0 53 Add to Reading List

COVID-19 infections jump 324% in one month

Analysis of COVID-19 cases obtained from the Nigeria Center for Disease Control revealed a sharp increase of 324% in the number of COVID-19 cases reported in the country in one month.

As many as 568 cases were reported in the country between May 12, 2022 and June 12, 2022.

However, between June 13, 2022 and July 12, 2022, no less than 2,407 cases were reported, resulting in a sharp increase of 323.76% in the number of positive cases.

The PUNCH reports that the increase comes amid a warning of a potential fifth wave of the pandemic.

The NCDC, in a public health advisory it issued before Salah's break, had warned Nigerians of the possibility of a fifth wave of the pandemic.

"As we celebrate, we urge Nigerians to prevent the onset of a full-fledged fifth wave of COVID-19 by remaining aware of the high risk of the spread of COVID-19 and acting accordingly. tandem while adhering to recommended public health safety measures,” the NCDC said in its advisory.

So far, a total of 258,874 positive cases have been reported in Nigeria since the start of the pandemic in 2020. While 250,456 have been discharged, 3,144 have lost their lives.

COVID-19 cases have continued to rise in some parts of the world.

In the UK, for example, authorities say COVID restrictions could be reintroduced if a growing number of cases impact the national health system.

That's when official UK data revealed that 2.7 million people in private households were believed to have had COVID-19 in the past week, up from 18 % compared to 2.3 million the previous week.

But Nigerian experts have said that the election and rainy seasons in Nigeria will further help the coronavirus to thrive in the country.

In an interview with The PUNCH, Marycelin Baba, Professor of Medical Virology at the University of Maiduguri, said: "COVID-19 is an abnormal virus. It thrives more whenever it is cold.As you may have noticed, Nigeria experiences incessant rains, cold weather, and coupled with election activities where politicians drop non-pharmaceutical procedures among others. So, with the weather and political activities, the cases are sure to increase.

Another health expert from Adekunle Ajasin University, Professor Victor Olumekun said, "We have virulent variants coming. The virus hasn't gone anywhere, the only thing is that it's not as deadly as it used to be as we approach herd immunity.

"It means the virulence will go down and the infectivity; it doesn't mean it's gone. People who haven't been vaccinated yet should go and do it."

The National President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr Uche Ojinmah, in an interview with The PUNCH, said: "There is a Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 Control headed by the SGF boss Mustapha, and everything has to follow the rules, there is a quarantine law that grants a lot of power to the president and you can't blame the politicians because there is a law that regulates that.

"The fundamental truth is that everyone does their best to protect themselves within the limits of reality. It is NMA's advice that they should give this information to the Presidential Steering Committee so that they can make a decision and address the nation, if there is a need for lockdown it should be done immediately.

@There has been a disregard for COVID-19 protocols around the world, people are now boarding a flight without a COVID 19 test, it's hard to pin down a certain group of the population, the markets are crowded and the religious gatherings are packed, so unless the regulations regarding this change, we cannot blame the politicians. »

Also speaking to The PUNCH, Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, Dr Alfa Yusuf said: "The increase in cases of Covid-19 is not surprising because we have generally abandoned the measures put in place, we no longer avoid crowded places, people do not use face masks and do not wash their hands regularly, all of this has led to an increase in COVID-19 cases.

"To our politicians, I would like to inform them that the virus is still with us and is on the increase and I am sure that the relevant bodies will soon take the necessary measures. There are regulations that everyone is supposed to follow including politicians and if such regulations don't prevent them from attending election campaigns then you can't blame them but with cases on the rise we except a new one directive that will prevent the spread of the coronavirus."

NCDC warns Nigerians

Meanwhile, the NCDC on its verified Facebook page warned N...