Last week, Nigeria recorded an additional 123 new Covid-19 cases with total infections rising to 169,329. As countries of the world continue to battle against the pandemic with the third wave taking its toll on many countries, Kehinde Osasona asks: Is end in sight?
The dreaded coronavirus pandemic, which emanated from Wuhan in China, has now spread to over 200 countries with nearly 950,000 lives reportedly lost worldwide.
When the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the coronavirus a pandemic on March 11, 2020, there were 118,000 confirmed cases and 4,000 deaths.
India subsequently surpassed five million infections to become the world’s highest affected country after the US. The good news, however, is that almost 22 million of the infected people have recovered after treatment according to reports.
A World Bank report has it that the coronavirus pandemic has triggered Africa’s first recession in 25 years, and has spread to all 54 countries of the continent.
The impact of the pandemic had led to the over-stretching of the already fragile economies; healthcare systems had equally been overwhelmed with health workers and stakeholders on the frontline experiencing their share of casualties.
This as data from worldometers.info has revealed that more than 30 million coronavirus infections have been recorded across the world just eight months into the pandemic.
While Africa is faring better compared to other regions in Europe, Asia and America, concerns have shifted from the daily rise of infections to the economic downturn, plummeting oil and commodity prices, and an imploding tourism sector occasioned by the restrictions put in place to contain the disease globally.
FG’s efforts
In 2020, the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, while giving Nigeria’s position on efforts to curb the scourge, told journalists that since the outbreak of the virus, the ministry has been strengthening Nigeria’s response capacity for public health challenges.
He said, “It is important to emphasize that this is a time for facts and not fear or panic. We are in solidarity with all countries across the world to control this pandemic.
“Nigeria has also taken steps in line with International standard to tame the menace by not only reducing case fatalities, but by also focusing on improving the capability to manage the virus through personnel supervision.
“We hope to reduce case fatalities by strengthening our capacity to manage cases, but it is only possible if persons test themselves early. All cases, whether home-based or institutional, are to be supervised by medical personnel.
“This is particularly important, given the threat posed by the spiralling rate of infection in countries with which Nigeria has strong political, business, social, and family relations.”
Also, a statement by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), a total of 2.36 million corona virus tests had been carried out as of July 16, 2021, compared to 2.32 million tests carried out earlier.
According to the NCDC, a multi-sectoral national Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) had been activated at Level 2, to coordinate national response activities.
“Till date 169,329 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed nationwide, 164,672 patients discharged and 2,126 deaths recorded.
“123 new cases were recorded in seven states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with Lagos having 70; Akwa Ibom18; Ogun 10; Oyo 8; Rivers 8; Ekiti 4; FCT 4 and Bayelsa 1, just as Covid-19 active cases stood at more than 2,000.”
Third wave scare
As the alert on the third wave of the pandemic became intensified, the virulent Delta variant of Covid-19 ravaging some countries was detected in Nigeria and other neighbouring countries.
WHO, in its risk assessment of 46 African countries, had noted that three countries on the continent faced a very high risk; 20 other faced high risk; while 22 others faced moderate risk; even as only one country faced low risk.
Expectedly, Lagos being a hub for high volume of human traffic from other continents into the country may continue to witness a surge in cases.
Consequently, public health experts have castigated both the government and the public for taking for granted the minimal impact of the pandemic so far in the country.
According to them, the lessons from the first wave had not been imbibed to ensure a systemic response to the pandemic.
As hospitals in the country run out of beds and oxygen supplies, a Professor of Virology, Oyewale Tomori, has alerted the government and stakeholders that Nigeria runs a high risk of Covid-19 resurgence.
Tomori, in a chat with journalists, said some of the factors responsible for the recent outbreak in India were also prevalent in Nigeria.
He said, “We have been comparing the situation with what is happening in India, they were doing very well before they landed into a big problem. If you look at the situation there, you will notice that there are three or four factors responsible.
“There was a festival in which millions of people participated. All of these added up. India has close to 1.5 billion people. Some states can even be as big as Nigeria. So, when they have political campaigns in which there is no law and order you can be sure that things will blow up.
“I think that was the condition that spread it (Covid-19) and the fact those variants are coming up even though vaccinations are being rolled out.”
The virologist further stated that the same situation was playing out in Nigeria, noting: “We have the same situation in Nigeria. In Africa, Nigeria ranks quite high; we have the largest population.
“As a people, we have discarded, forgotten the guidelines. Most people don’t wear masks now and if they wear, they are wearing it as a neck choke.
“We have started gatherings. The churches are meeting. I am a bit scared of when the Ramadan festival is over and we, as of now, have only vaccinated a million people out of 200 million. So, in reality, we are not doing well as far as vaccination is concerned.”
The virologist, who questioned the rate of testing for the virus in the country, insisted that there was a high possibility of Covid-19 third wave in Nigeria.
“When you look at the reports of the NCDC, you will see some states testing just one sample in one week. So, we are not serious.”
Way forward
While proffering the way forward, the federal government had said the nation was conscious of the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic and was taking necessary measures including provision for oxygen facilities as a preventive measure.
The Director-General, NCDC, Chikwe Ihekweazu, made this known last month while assuring that the country could not afford to let its guard down as a third wave was possible.
Also speaking at the national briefing of the Presidential Taskforce (PTF) on Covid-19, Ehanire said: “Nigeria has so far escaped the worst of Covid-19 and the dire predictions made about her.
“We may even seem to be doing well, but I wish to emphasize that we must still be on strict preventive alert, because of the Covid-19 third wave that is sweeping across the globe. Cases have been rising in one African country after the other and health systems are getting stressed in countries like Uganda.”
Government is preparing itself to ensure system resilience knowing full well also that oxygen sufficiency was of high priority as countries going through the third wave.
According to an epidemiologist, who simply identified himself as Mr Casmir, in containing the more virulent and fast killing virus, restrictions for international travel and other measures to tackle the third wave should not be limited to Lagos alone, but extended to Abuja, Kano and other cities.
