NCDC Warns Against Fifth COVID-19 Wave As Nigerians Prepare For Eid Celebrations
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) issued a public health advisory on Friday in response to the recent increase in COVID-19 cases in the country and globally.
“This is based on the virus’s current risk and the need for religious organisations, community leaders, and Nigerians in general to take necessary precautions ahead of the upcoming Eid-el-Kabir celebrations,” it said, adding that the number of weekly COVID-19 cases has increased globally for the third consecutive week – according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
“Similarly, our national surveillance system has detected a gradual increase in the number of daily COVID-19 cases recorded in the country.” Although confirmed cases increased from 267 to 445 between weeks 21 and 24, hospitalisation and fatalities remained low, indicating that these are mostly mild to moderate cases or that we are in the lag phase before we see an increase in severe disease and hospitalisation.”
Since the first case was discovered in Nigeria on February 27, 2020, authorities have confirmed 256,695 cases with 3,144 deaths across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
According to the NCDC, genomic surveillance confirms that omicron and its various offspring (sub lineages) remain the dominant circulating variant of concern associated with disease spread in the country.
It explained that the recent increase in cases may be due to increased testing in recent weeks, increased circulation of omicron sub-lineages (BA.4 and BA.5, as seen elsewhere), an increase in seasonal illness with cold and cough symptoms, and poor adherence to preventive measures such as mask use.
Authorities stated that they have continued to maintain active surveillance and support states in ensuring that access to testing is provided for prompt management of confirmed cases, as well as coordinate genomic surveillance to detect emerging variants.
“Our focus is to ensure response continuity for COVID-19 and improve our health system while giving needed attention to other priorities within our mandate, including the ongoing monkeypox response,” the agency stated.
“In addition to the COVID-19 situation in Nigeria and globally, the upcoming Eid-El-Kabir celebrations against the backdrop of suboptimal COVID-19 vaccination uptake and increasing COVID-19 case numbers calls for increased individual and collective responsibility.”
“The virus that causes COVID-19 is more likely to spread in large groups and when people do not follow preventive measures such as physical separation, mask use, and hand hygiene.” As we celebrate, we urge Nigerians to avoid the onset of a full-fledged fifth COVID-19 wave by remaining aware of the high risk of COVID-19 spread and acting in tandem by adhering to recommended public health safety measures.”
