Coronavirus: 90% of COVID-19 patients recover without intervention – NCDC DG

Chikwe Ihekweazu, the director-general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), has disclosed that 90% of COVID-19 patients recover without any intervention. 

Ihekweazu made this known at the media briefing of the presidential task force on COVID-19 on Wednesday, April 8, The Cable reports. 

He said what a COVID-19 patient usually requires is support for the body to recover by itself. 

He said:

 “We should remember that 90 per cent of these patients recover without any intervention. So, if you take something and say you recovered and that something is why you recovered, it doesn’t quite add up.” 

The NCDC boss further explained that very few viruses have a cure. He said COVID-19 patients are given oxygen at the hospital which is not a treatment but administered to keep the patients alive for long enough to recover yourself. 

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As at Wednesday evening, the NCDC confirmed 22 new cases indicating that 15 of the cases are in Lagos, four in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), two in Bauchi and one in Edo. The new cases bring the total number to 276 in Nigeria out of which 44 have recovered and six died. In a telephone interview with Fresh FM radio station in Ibadan on Monday, April 6, the Oyo state governor disclosed that he fought the deadly virus with carrots, vitamin C and black seed oil, and honey. Governor Makinde made the disclosure a day after he tested negative for the disease. Meanwhile, recall that the federal government had directed the lockdown of Lagos state, Abuja, and Ogun state to contain the spread of coronavirus. The government also placed a ban on religious gatherings and meetings of more than twenty people. However, in a recent development, it was reported that the  state government has decided not to follow the ban on religious gatherings as it lifted the suspension of Friday Jumat prayers in the state.

According to a press release, the state leaders had a meeting on Tuesday, April 7, to resume Jumat prayers in the state. The statement noted that the prayers would be conducted under strict rules.

The statement directed the Imams not to prolong sermons and Jumat attendees were advised to practice social distancing.

A Nigerian man identified as Badmus Akeem shared the press release on his Twitter account and called out the government.

He noted that the grand mosque in Mecca and the prophet’s mosque in Medinah have been closed since March 19.

Akeem said the measures were taken to combat the spread of the virus. He added that even the call to prayer in the mosques include a line asking people to stay at home but the Katsina government lifted their suspension of Jumat.