The federal government warned Thursday that COVID-19 fatalities would increase in view of the number of positive cases in the country.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, at the daily briefing of the Presidential Task Force on the Control of VOVID-19.
“As the number of cases increases, COVID-19 kills more people,” he said.
The minister said there was the need for health workers to make rational use of Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs).
He said countries battling with high number of COVID-19 cases were running short of PPEs.
He said the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Wednesday announced 587 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, increasing the total tally to 17,735.
He said 5,967 persons have been treated and discharged while 469 persons have been lost to the disease.
“We have said that the increasing number of cases should be a warning that fatalities will increase too; but there are measures we can take, to limit case fatality rate.
“Since majority of fatalities are over 50 years of age, or have preexisting ailments like diabetes, cancer, hypertension, kidney disease, HIV, among others, this group of citizens has to be specially protected.
“This protection begins with limiting their exposure to risks of COVID-19 infection by urging stay at home, except there is urgent and dire need to go out; to wear a face mask or a covering at any time, once outside the house, or when inside the house with persons who may have been exposed,” he said.
The minister said visitors to places like market or worship centres risk of increased exposure to the disease.
He also urged persons in the vulnerable group who test positive to go to a treatment centre immediately in their own interest.
He said a vulnerabke person is not among those who should risk staying at home, because complications can arise easily and suddenly.
“Any person who tested positive and opted to stay home or elsewhere should move to a treatment center at the first sign of fever or shortness or breath.
“A delay can be fatal because the disease progression can be unpredictable and faster than imagined.
“Witherspoon these important measures, we could mitigate the fatality rate. The novel coronavirus is still among us and is infecting people daily, including prominent members of the society.
“Friends and family have an increasingly important role to play in helping to guide compliance with this advisory. Till it goes away, whenever that is, we must take extreme precaution when going to public places,” he said.
He said government has updated the case management guidelines with reviewed changes like discharge criteria and medication used for the treatment of cases.
“Our treatment centers will be getting an advisory to test applicability of a drug recently repurposed and found effective for treatment of COVID-19. The engagement of states and support for them in management of COVID-19 will continue to increase with increased capacity building,” he said.
