Nigeria's COVID-19 cases now 11,844, as Lagos begins home treatment

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, on Friday, confirmed 328 new COVID-19 cases in the country, bringing the total number of infections in the nation to 11,844.

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This is also coming even as the Lagos State Government disclosed plans on the commencement of home-based management of asymptomatic and mild cases.

The state also noted that three private hospitals have already been accredited to manage COVID19 cases.

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Meanwhile, the NCDC on its microsite stated that, “On the 5th of June 2020, 328 new confirmed cases and 10 deaths were recorded in Nigeria. No new state has reported a case in the last 24 hours.

“Till date, 11844 cases have been confirmed, 3696 cases have been discharged and 333 deaths have been recorded in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

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READ ALSO: More worries as NCDC confirms 350 new COVID-19 cases, totaling 11,516

“The 328 new cases are reported from 14 states- Lagos(121), FCT(70),Bauchi(25), Rivers(18), Oyo(16), Kaduna(15), Gombe(14), Edo(13),Ogun(13), Jigawa(8), Enugu(6), Kano(5), Osun(2), Ondo(2).

Commencement of home-based care for asymptomatic patients

While giving an update on COVID19 management in Lagos State, the Commissioner for Health, of the state, Prof Akin Abayomi, said: “We are working on parameters to integrate home-based care to the isolation strategy. Asymptomatic and mild cases will now be managed at home rather than at the Isolation centres.

“The home-based care is necessitated by the increasing numbers of positive cases in the community which is a result of the increase in our testing capacity.

Nigeria's COVID-19 cases now 11,844, as Lagos begins home treatment
Updates by states

“With the increasing numbers of positive cases, the possibility of running short of bed spaces in isolation facilities cannot be ruled out, hence, the need for home-based care.”

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Abayomi announced that more attention will be paid to patients with moderate and severe cases and manage such cases at the Isolation centres to avoid complications.

He further stated that, “We are going to define who can be managed at home and who can be managed in an isolation facility. It is a bit of a simple decision. If you are asymptomatic you qualify to be managed at home simply because most people in that category will naturally get well without any medical intervention.

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After all, if you are not feeling any symptom you may not know you have COVID19, nothing happens to you and you may clear the virus after seven to 10 days.

READ ALSO: Polio eradication expertise backs Africa’s COVID-19 response –WHO

“The people we want to pay more attention to are the moderate to severe ones because they are not suitable for home-based care.’’

The Commissioner, however, noted home-based care for asymptomatic and mild patients will be strictly monitored stressing an asymptomatic patient can turn mild and Abayomi said a mild patient may turn moderate or even severe which will require management at an Isolation facility if such is the case.

He stated that patients receiving home-based care will be provided with a COVID19 pack with which they can monitor their body temperature, measure their oxygen level and be given certain vitamins and pain-relieving drugs to manage themselves.

“When we manage you at home we are going to monitor you. We will call you by phone, people will come and visit you, your family members can call us, Abayomi added.

On accredited hospitals

The Lagos Commissioner stated that one of the hospitals have started admitting patients while the other two will soon start admission and management of patients.

He further noted that, “The hospitals have passed the biosecurity compliance test. They have made modifications to their hospitals so that their staff and other patients are not put in danger or exposed to a higher risk of contracting COVID19.

“Those private hospitals have passed the test and we are just in the process of issuing them with accreditation certificate so that they can start managing COVID19 patients in the private sector.”

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