The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, has said 90 per cent of people who contract the coronavirus (COVID-19)infection will recover fully.
Mr Ehanire while responding to questions at the daily Presidential TaskForce (PTF) briefing on Monday said people are afraid due to the high number of confirmed cases “that they forget about those recovering.”
”An ambulance can do a large number of things, so the sign of an ambulance does not immediately translate to COVID-19. That is ‘over the top’ of apprehension.
”It can happen but in this case, I don’t believe so. There is no reason for apprehension because over 90 per cent of those who have COVID-19 will recover.
“Nine out 10 will recover, so what is the fear about. Only that the numbers are so large that we forget that people recover and few get very sick, that is just about four or five out of 100,” Mr Ehanire said.
As of Tuesday morning, Nigeria has recorded 665 cases of COVID-19. Of these, 188 infected people have recovered and have been discharged while 22 people have died.
Some of the people who have died from the disease in Nigeria were said to have underlying medical conditions.
According to Worldometer.info, over 2 million cases of COVID-19 have been recorded globally of which 169,940 people have died and 645,164 have recovered from the disease.
Mr Ehanire said the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) will double its testing capacity from 1,500 to 3,000 persons daily.
He also explained that the high number of confirmed COVID-19 cases was as a result of increased testing and social mobilisation at the grassroots to combat community transmission of the virus.
He also said a ”robust national Response Action Plan is presently under development to address the challenges arising from Nigeria’s entry to COVID-19 community transmission phase.
“Thirteen molecular diagnostic laboratory nationwide have been activated so far by the NCDC and the target this week is to double the national testing capacity which stands at 1,500 a day.
”Our strategy now focuses on the community and we have increased testing and social mobilisation at the grassroots.
”The worrying increases in the frequency and numbers of new persons with COVID-19 being recorded daily, is attributable to this new strategy, in combination with the increased community transmission,” he said.
Ehanire said any traveller coming into Nigeria must be quarantined for 14 days at a designated facility, in order to forestall re-importation of COVID-19 into the country.
“With regard to re-importation of the virus, all persons entering Nigeria from abroad, now go to mandatory supervised 14-day quarantine at a designated facility.
“State governments are collaborating to prepare a minimum of 300 beds for isolation and treatment, and explore all options including engaging hotels for quarantining persons who may have COVID-19 with or without symptoms and may need only little clinical management,” he said.