…It is a virus you can’t build a wall to keep it off
…2170 Nigerians having now been infected
By Audrey Lotechukwu
SAT, MAY 02 2020-theG&BJournal- Chikwe Ihekweazu, the amiable and always smiling boss of the Nigeria Centre for Disease control (NCDC) employed every guile and smile on his face to tell the bleak story Friday during the Presidential Task Force briefing in Abuja. Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) has told the same story for as long as the Presidential Task Force briefing began.
‘’The most likely scenario is that until we have a vaccine, we would have to learn to live with COVID-19 in our country,’’ Ihekweazu said to drive home the reality and the gravity of the pandemic.
‘’There is no need to think about stigmatizing ourselves. We have to tell ourselves the truth. We are all just as vulnerable as many others. We must all remember it is a virus. You can’t build a wall to keep it off so anything can still happen despite our best efforts.’’
Ihekweazu’s statement is a stark reminder that for all Federal Government’s effort in dealing with the spread of the pandemic in the country, the biggest problems are the inadequacies and outside the country’s borders.
‘’Nigeria is the place where this potent and very dangerous drama plays out’’ one public health officials tells theG&BJournal. ‘’And the problem is that the people has long had a deaf ear to whatever the government says.’’
But Boss Mustapha had a message to that effect too. He said, ‘’We better own up to this. We have a part to play as individuals and collectively as a people to ensure that we do everything possible to flatten the curve and begin to see a decrease in the levels of infection.’’
Meanwhile, there are about 3,500 beds available right now in the entire country, and no state including Lagos and the FCT has achieved the bed capacity that they may need to respond to a bigger outbreak.
Officials recorded another 238 new cases-the highest single day number so far- with 2170 Nigerians having now been infected since the disease landed in February. 10 more people died to bring the toll to 68, and 350 have been discharged.
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