By Audrey Lotechukwu
THUR, APRIL 16 2020-theG&BJournal- The Minister of Health Dr Osagie Ehanire Wednesday said that the Testing criteria for coronavirus (COVID-19) have been expanded to include not only contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases with fever and respiratory symptom but also to all persons with fever and respiratory tract of unknown cause.
He suggested that the advent of community transmission which marked the evolution of containment strategy informed the new measure. There is also an increased drive to detect cases more rapidly especially in hotspot communities.
For suspect case definition, three categories of people are in focus; fever/respiratory symptoms in returning travellers-this is almost negligible now because the only group of people returning now are returning through the land borders. The second category is fever/respiratory symptoms contacts of cases and the third, is fever/respiratory symptoms with unknown origin.
‘’The focus will be on the last two categories of people in the next two weeks, so that the leadership will be availed with more information to be able to make the required decisions. Our priority therefore is not only to increase access to laboratories but increase the scale of testing in the cities were we have the most cases-Lagos and Abuja where most of the suspect cases are,’’ the Minister said.
‘’All persons who fit in within the case definition are advised to first of all wear a mask of any type, isolate themselves from friends and families while they call the national emergency numbers or the NCDC toll free number or report to the nearest health facility,’’ he said. ‘’The policy is to detect early, test early and isolate cases as early as possible.’’
Sample collecting kits have already been distributed across the country in the past two weeks and we are developing innovative tools to track all of that.
He reminded all healthcare workers in both private and public health facilities to maintain high index of suspicion and to safely refer patients with fever and respiratory tract symptoms for COVID-19 testing.
‘’Safely refer means that you offer a mask or some protective barrier, if possible to the patient before the testing and invite the patient to a holding room if you have one and then call the emergency numbers.
The guideline has been produced by the Federal Ministry of Health accreditation committee to ensure that standards are maintained at all COVID-19 isolation and treatment centres across the country.
There are three levels of isolation, first is isolation for suspected cases of COVID-19, who are awaiting test and result. This centre will also be used or designated the mandatory quarantine facility for persons returning from abroad with negative result or those unable to self-isolate at home for 14 days. The second isolation is for confirmed COVID-19 cases with mild or moderate symptoms who need little or no clinical management and only need to be isolated from community. The third is for confirmed COVID-19 cases with severe or critical symptoms who need enhanced clinical management or intensive care.
In Abuja, the designated isolation 3 facility is at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital and the National Hospital. There are four isolation 2 centres.
He appealed to citizens to comply with invitation to isolation centres. ‘’This is your best option of recovery and for detecting possible complications in time.’’
The Minister of Health noted that there had been significant progress in contact tracing and had to date followed up on 9,029 persons of interest, 99% of whom he said, had exceeded their 14-day observation period. He maintained that, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had been doing a good job on supporting activities in States with new outbreaks, with Rapid Response Teams and also working with the Department of Hospital Services to oversee the establishment of more isolation and treatment centres in line with national guidelines and global best practices.
He said work is in progress with Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria and the Nigeria Medical Association to position medical and critical care specialists for deployment where necessary.
He also appealed to state governments to get teams out on the streets to identify patients, collect samples, and send the samples through the mechanisms that have been set up. The limiting factor so far is getting the right samples into the lab in the next two.
Meanwhile, 34 new cases of COVID-19 were reported as at 11.20 pm 15 April to bring the nation’s total of confirmed cases to 407. 128 have been discharged and 12 deaths recorded. So far 20 states in the country have reported confirmed cases or cases.
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