By ABUJAH RACHEAL

The Nigeria Centre For Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 930 new cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) infections in the country.

The NCDC made this known via its verified website on Wednesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the number surpassed the previous record of 796 cases recorded on Dec. 11.

The centre said Nigeria has conducted about 859,357 tests since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was announced in February this year.

NCDC said that no death was recorded from the virus in the past 24 hours in the country.

It said the 930 new infections were from 21 states and the Federal Capital Territory, adding that the new infections raised the total number of confirmed cases in Nigeria to 75,062.

The health agency said that 281 COVID-19 patients had recovered and were discharged from various isolation centres in the past 24 hours, raising the number of successfully recovered patients to 66,775.

“Our discharges today include 106 community recoveries in Lagos State managed in line with guidelines,” it said.

The NCDC stated that Lagos recorded the highest number of cases with 279 infections, followed by FCT which recorded 179 cases, Plateau, 62, Kaduna, 54 and Kano, 52.

Katsina had 52; Imo 42; Jigawa 42; Rivers 38; Kwara 30 and Nasarawa 19.

In Yobe 15 cases were recorded; Ogun 13; Borno 10, Oyo and Niger had nine each.

Ebonyi recorded six, Bauchi six, Edo five, Taraba four, Sokoto and Cross River two each.

The centre noted that till date, 75,062 cases have been confirmed, 66,775 patients discharged and 1,200 deaths recorded in 36 states and the FCT.

The public health agency said that a multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre (EOC), has been activated at Level 3, to coordinate the national response activities.

Meanwhile, the agency said that home care for COVID-19 patients, who are asymptomatic or had mild symptoms, must be based on the recommendation of a clinician and not on self-assessment.

The NCDC said that it was the duty of clinicians to recommend the use of designated treatment areas, according to the severity and the acute care needed by the patients.

“Home care should only be recommended for in-patients after an appropriate risk assessment has been done and following appropriate counseling.

“Key recommendation for health care worker, if hospitalisation is not feasible, consider home care for patients with no symptoms, mild symptoms or for patients without concern for rapid deterioration as determined by a managing physician.

“Home care may also be considered when in-patient care is unavailable or unsafe (e.g. capacity is limited, and resources are unable to meet the demand for health care services). Contacts should be advised to monitor their health for 14 days from the last possible day of contact,” the NCDC said.

The agency said that the key recommendation for patients at household level was that they should remain isolated and limit contact with other people, including household members, until all symptoms have resolved and until the patient have a repeat negative test or a healthcare worker has cleared the patient.

“Stay in a well-ventilated single room, limit movement in the house or minimise shared space, ensure shared spaces are well ventilated, follow cleaning and disinfecting guidance at home, limit the number of caregivers and seek care urgently if there is a change in your condition,” the centre advised.

For household members, the NCDC said they should assign one person who was in a good health without risk conditions to care for the ill person.

“All household members should regularly wash their hands with soap and water, stop receiving visitors into the house/accommodation where the ill person is staying, limit contact with anyone outside the household until 14 days after the ill person recovers.

“Provide and dedicate personal items such as toothbrushes, eating utensils, dishes, drinks, towels, wash cloths, or bed linen for the patient, respiratory hygiene should be practised always, discard tissue used to cover nose or mouth during coughing or sneezing into a lined bin which has a well-fitted lid,” the NCDC advised. (NAN)

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