Some COVID-19 Patients Will No Longer Have to Wait for a Negative Test Result Before Discharge

June 5, 2020 Mary

350 new cases of COVID-19 were recorded in Nigeria

According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), 102 cases were recorded in Lagos, 34 in Ogun, 29 in FCT, 26 in Borno, 23 in Kaduna, 21 in Rivers, 17 in Ebonyi, 16 in Kwara, 14 in Katsina, 10 in Edo, 10 in Delta, 10 in Kano, 10 in Bauchi, 9 in Bayelsa, 8 in Imo, 4 in Plateau, 3 in Ondo, 2 in Nasarawa, 1 in Gombe and 1 and Oyo State.

In total, Nigeria has recorded 11,516 cases of COVID-19. 3535 patients have been discharged from various isolation centres across the country, while 323 deaths have been recorded.

350 new cases of #COVID19;

Lagos-102
Ogun-34
FCT-29
Borno-26
Kaduna-23
Rivers-21
Ebonyi-17
Kwara -16
Katsina-14
Edo-10
Delta-10
Kano-10
Bauchi-10
Bayelsa-9
Imo-8
Plateau-4
Ondo-3
Nasarawa-2
Gombe-1
Oyo-1

11516 cases of #COVID19Nigeria
Discharged: 3535
Deaths: 323 pic.twitter.com/hiWLGxMLLr

— NCDC (@NCDCgov) June 4, 2020

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NCDC has issued a new set of guidelines for the discharge of COVID-19 patients

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has issued a new set of guidelines for the discharge of COVID-19 patients in treatment centres, Punch reports.

At a Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing in Abuja on Thursday, the DG of the NCDC, Chikwe Ihekweazu, stated that, COVID-19 patients would no longer require a negative test result before being discharged. According to Ihekweazu, the reviewed guidelines are in line with the findings of the World Health Organisation, based on new research.

Ihekweazu explained that, with new knowledge on the duration of the virus, it had become unnecessary to keep COVID-19 patients in treatment centres until they tested negative.

He said:

The two critical groups of patients are symptomatic and asymptomatic. For symptomatic patients, they may now be discharged at least 10 days after symptom onset and at least three days without symptom. So, if you’re symptomatic, you can be discharged if you’ve had three days without symptoms in addition to at least 10 days of symptoms. If your symptoms stay longer, we will wait for longer while managing you supportive.

If you’re asymptomatic, you can be discharged 14 days after your first positive test, with confidence that you can go home and you’re no longer infective and you’re not putting anyone else at risk. So, we no longer have to wait for a negative test to discharge.

On post-discharge management, he noted that only asymptomatic patients would be discharged.

Ihekweazu said:

We are not suggesting that people are discharged while they are still symptomatic, so we are talking about discharging people that are asymptomatic and have recovered.

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FCTA releases guidelines for reopening of worship places

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has released guidelines on the reopening of churches and mosques in Abuja.

The Minister of the FCT, Muhammed Musa Bello held a meeting with religious leaders and members of his administration on Thursday and reached a consensus as to how church and mosque services will be held going forward, to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Abuja.

The guidelines include social distancing while in worship centres, use of sanitizers and washing of hands at entry and exit of church and mosque buildings, among others.

See the full guidelines as released by the FCTA on its official Twitter handle.

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Lagos discharges 24 patients after testing negative twice

The Lagos State government has discharged 24 more COVID-19 patients from its isolation centres after they recovered and tested negative twice for the virus.

Those discharged include 9 females and 15 males; all Nigerians. Four of the patients were discharged from the Isolation Centre in Onikan, one from Gbagada, another one from Agidingbi, while eighteen others were discharged from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) Isolation Centre.

According to the State’s Ministry of Health, this brings to 952, the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases successfully managed and discharged in Lagos.

*️⃣The patients; 4 from Onikan, 1 from Gbagada, 1 from Agidingbi & 18 from LUTH Isolation Centres were discharged having fully recovered & tested negative to #COVID19.

*️⃣This brings to 952, the number of #COVID19 confirmed cases successfully managed and discharged in Lagos now.

— LSMOH (@LSMOH) June 4, 2020

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Brazil‘s official coronavirus death toll passes Italy

Brazil now has more coronavirus deaths than Italy, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The country’s death toll is now at 34,021, the third-highest death toll worldwide, behind the United States and the United Kingdom. Brazil registered a record 1,473 more coronavirus-related fatalities in the 24 hours to Thursday, its health ministry reported, with the country’s death toll now at 34,021. The health ministry also said it registered 30,925 new coronavirus cases over the previous 24 hours, increasing the nationwide total to 614,941.

Brazil’s chief health officer Eduardo Macário acknowledged that the country is facing difficulty in even measuring coronavirus infection, saying “The government has been working to accelerate reporting and expand its testing capabilities,”.

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Face masks will become mandatory on public transport in England from 15 June

Everyone on public transport in the UK will have to wear face coverings from June 15, Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, announced on Thursday.

People will have to wear face coverings on buses, trains, tubes and other modes of public transport from that date when non-essential shops are likely to reopen. However, it will not apply to people entering shops, despite the current guidance saying face coverings should be worn in enclosed public places.

“As of Monday 15 June, face coverings will become mandatory on public transport,” Shapps told the daily press conference. “That doesn’t mean surgical masks, which we must keep for clinical settings, it means the kind of face-covering you can easily make at home. The evidence suggests that wearing face coverings offers some, albeit limited, protection, against the spread of the virus.”

I’ve announced that it will be mandatory to wear face coverings on public transport from Monday June 15th, given that we expect a further uplift in passengers as a result of non essential shops re-opening. https://t.co/I6Rky5JSvi

— Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) June 4, 2020

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At least 270 Indian citizens evacuated from Nigeria

The aircraft conveying the nationals departed the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos on Thursday evening and has successfully arrived India today, Friday.

PUBLIC NOTICE (05-06-2020) pic.twitter.com/g4Izu5xMXm

— Air Peace (@flyairpeace) June 5, 2020

The High Commission of India in Abuja confirmed this in a tweet, noting that the evacuees were workers of Dangote Group while adding that it was the second evacuation flight operated by a Nigerian airline, Air Peace.

Enabled repatriation of 270 needy employees of Dangote Group to India from Lagos Airport today, with support of Nigeria Immigration Service and the Federal Ministry of Health. Second direct flight by Air Peace to India within a week.

Enabled repatriation of 270 needy employees of @DangoteGroup to India from @LOSairport today, with support of @nigimmigration & @Fmohnigeria, under the guidance of @DrSJaishankar, @MOS_MEA, @HardeepSPuri & @PIBHomeaffairs.2nd direct flight by @flyairpeace to India within a week. pic.twitter.com/tFCZIttg1T

— India in Nigeria (As well as Benin, Chad & ECOWAS) (@india_nigeria) June 4, 2020