By OKEY SAMPSON, Umuahia

Five health workers and 25 others have so far died of COVID-19 related ailment in Abia state since the outbreak of the global pandemic in the tail end of 2019.

Disclosing this in Umuahia, the state capital during the sensitization of media personnel on the Roll out of COVID-19 Antigen Based Rapid Diagnostic Test (Ag_RDT), the World Health Organization (WHO) representative in Abia, Dr. Linus Eze Okoro said the deaths which were the ones recorded, were from 2,029 confirmed cases.

Represented by Mrs. Chigbuo Ogechukwu, Dr. Okoro said during the period under review, 23,700 suspected cases were recorded, out of which 23,690 samples of suspected patients were collected.

While reporting that within the period, 1990 patients out of which 90 were corps members, were managed and discharged, the state WHO representative said the highest cases were recorded during the first and second waves.

Breaking the rate of the spread of the virus down local government lines, WHO said the local government with the highest prevalent in Abia is Umuahia North, while Ugwunagbo is the lowest.

“Umuahia North is the local government in Abia State with the highest prevalent of COVID-19 infection, while Ugwunagbo is the the local government with the lowest rate”.

Dr. Okoro said it was important that the information was given so that people in the state would stop thinking that COVID-19 pandemic was non existent in this part of the world or has been completely eradicated.

“People have been having this wrong notion that the COVID-19 pandemic doesn’t exist in this part of the world or has been completely eradicated.

“This is totally not so, the pandemic is still ravaging the world with new variants occurring and Abia State is not exempted”.

He disclosed that with the introduction of the COVID-19 Ag_RDT, testing of suspected patients could be done anywhere and the results obtained in a matter of minutes.

“We the rolling out of the COVID-19 Ag_RDT, people are tested at any point and results are obtained almost immediately and treatment commenced for those who are positive. So, with this, we don’t have to wait for days for the result to come out”.

Regretting there were not enough testing for COVID-19 in the state, Dr. Okoro informed that there are test centres in all the local government areas of the state and urged people to avail themselves of the opportunity.

Abia state Epidemiologist, Mrs. Peace Nwaogwugwu, her deputy, Charles Ibeneme and Stanley Ajamgbulogu all spoke of the need for people to go for the Ag_RDT test which they said is easy to use and affordable.

They equally advised people to get themselves vaccinated against COVID-19, assuring that the vaccines have no damaging effects as being speculated.

The sensitization programme was organized by Abia State public health emergency operations centre of the Ministry of Health with the support of WHO. (Daily Sun)

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