COVID-19 survivor billed $1.1m by hospital

A survivor of the dreaded COVID-19 disease has been reportedly billed $1.1m by the hospital where he recovered.

Reports from Seattle Times has it that a survivor of COVID-19, a 70-year-old American man who nearly died of COVID-19 has been billed a heart-stopping $1.1 million for his hospital expenses.

Michael Flor was admitted to a hospital in the northwestern city on March 4, and stayed for 62 days – at one point coming so close to death that nurses held up the phone so his wife and children could say goodbye.

But he recovered and was discharged on May 5 to the cheers of nursing staff – only to receive a 181-page bill totalling $1,122,501.04, he told the newspaper.

It includes $9,736 per day for the intensive care room, nearly $409,000 for its transformation into a sterile room for 42 days, $82,000 for the use of a ventilator for 29 days, and nearly $100,000 for two days when his prognosis was life-threatening.

Flor is covered by Medicare, a government insurance program for the elderly, and should not have to take out his wallet, according to the Times.

But in a country where health care is among the most expensive in the world – and the idea of socializing it remains hugely controversial – he said he feels “guilty” knowing that taxpayers will bear much of the cost.

“It was a million bucks to save my life, and of course I’d say that’s money well-spent… But I also know I might be the only one saying that,” the Times quoted the survivor as saying.

A gigantic plan adopted by Congress to keep the American economy afloat through the coronavirus shutdowns includes a $100 million budget to compensate hospitals and private insurance companies that treated COVID-19 patients.

COVID-19 : Lagos records over 1000 recoveries

The total number of recoveries from the coronavirus disease has risen to 1,047 in Lagos State. This was after discharging 22 patients today.

The Lagos State Ministry of Health gave the update on its Twitter handle on Friday, saying the patients were discharged after they tested negative to the infection.

“22 fully recovered COVID-19 Lagos patients; 6 females & 16 males were discharged from our Isolation facilities to reunite with the society.

The patients; 9 from Onikan, 2 from Gbagada, 1 from Agidingbi, 6 from Lekki, 1 from FCC and 3 from LUTH Isolation Centres were discharged after testing negative to COVID-19.

With this, the number of COVID-19 cases successfully managed & discharged in Lagos has risen to 1047,” the ministry wrote.

Lagos recorded 354 new cases on Thursday as the total confirmed cases of coronavirus in Nigeria rose to 14,554.

Lagos has 6,611 confirmed cases, 1,047 recoveries and 67 deaths.

The total number of active cases in the state and the number of patients at the isolation centres in the state were not disclosed as of the time of this report.

Residents were urged to continue practising physical distancing, good personal hygiene and use of face masks in public places.

WHO - Despite COVID-19, nursing mothers should breastfeed

WHO has directed that a mother should breastfeed her new-born baby even if she has a suspected or confirmed case of the new coronavirus.

“Based on the available evidence, WHO’s advice is that the benefits of breastfeeding outweigh any potential risks of transmission of COVID-19,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press briefing.

“Mothers with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 should be encouraged to initiate and continue breastfeeding and not be separated from their infants, unless the mother is too unwell,” he said.

Mr Tedros noted that evidence suggests children are at lower risk for catching the coronavirus than adults, but are at high risk of coming down with diseases and other conditions that breastfeeding helps prevent.

COVID-19 : US companies lay off 44.2m workers

It has been reported that the total number of US layoffs caused by the coronavirus pandemic has reached 44.2 million. This is coming even as businesses try to reopen, and analysts warn of continuing damage to the world’s largest economy as COVID-19 shows few signs of abating.

Wall Street stocks plunged on Thursday, reversing recent momentum as traders became spooked by resurgent cases of the virus in parts of the country and new Labor Department data showed another 1.54 million workers filed for unemployment benefits last week.

The massive layoffs have become routine since shutdowns to stop the coronavirus from spreading began in mid-March, reaching their peak later that month and declining since.

Some workers are back on the job as states reopen, but the total for the week ended June 6 is still well above any figure seen during the global financial crisis in 2008, even though it fell 355,000 from the prior week.

Rubeela Farooqi of High-Frequency Economics said that the data shows the US economy is clearly not back to normal.

“States and businesses have reopened, but activity remains restricted and subdued, which will likely result in ongoing layoffs over coming weeks,” she said in an analysis.

COVID-19 remains a stubborn threat in the United States, which continues to record around 20,000 new cases every day with few signs of reduction. States like Texas and North Carolina are seeing more patients hospitalized with the virus than a month ago.

Federal Reserve officials on Wednesday released forecasts projecting the US economy would contract by 6.5 percent this year, and Fed Chair Jerome Powell warned that some workers may not find jobs for a long time.

The Labour Department data showed about 20.9 million people were receiving unemployment payments in the week ended May 30, down from 21.3 million the week before – indicating that people were either returning to work or had their initial claims denied.

All told, the report was in line with May’s unemployment rate, which declined to 13.3 percent from 14.7 percent in April as the US economy added 2.5 million jobs.

COVID-19 : PTF says rise in cases not unusual

The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has said that the recent increase in the recorded cases of coronavirus in the country is not unusual.

This was made known by the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, during the PTF briefing in Abuja on Thursday.

He attributed the increase in the number of infections reported in the last few weeks to the eased lockdown. The director-general said, 

“As we have eased the restriction that we have instituted across the country, we have expected the numbers to increase. 

We have announced it several times to expect an increase in numbers. So, this increase in numbers is not unusual.

As we increase testing and relax the lockdown, this is a virus that goes from one individual to the other, therefore, it is most likely that we will see an increase in numbers. 

Whether that increase continues or not depends on our collective action. Sometimes, these numbers are necessary to remind us of the reality. 

While the number of deaths as a proportion might appear small, these are all people that many of us have gotten to know, and every day, you get to hear about one other friend or relative that, unfortunately, have passed away.”

COVID-19 : Ogun records 108 cases in 24 hours

Ogun State has recorded 108 cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours. This brings the total number of COVID-19 cases in the state increased to 471.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control revealed that while 13 have died of coronavirus-related complications, 186 have recovered in Ogun State.

Data from the NCDC showed that the state currently has 272 active COVID-19 cases. The centre said, 

“On the 9th of June 2020, 663 new confirmed cases and 4 deaths were recorded in Nigeria. No new state has reported a case in the last 24 hours.

Till date, 13464 cases have been confirmed, 4206 cases have been discharged and 365 deaths have been recorded in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The 663 new cases are reported from 26 states- Lagos (170), Ogun (108), Bauchi (69), Ebonyi (49), Edo (33), Rivers (30), FCT (26), Jigawa (26), Delta (20), Anambra (17), Gombe (16), Kano (16), Imo (15), Abia (14), Borno (11), Oyo (11), Plateau (8), Kebbi (6), Kaduna (6), Ondo (4), Niger (2), Katsina (2), Osun (1), Ekiti (1), Kwara (1), Nasarawa (1).”

COVID-19 : Six front line pharmacists test positive

Pharmacists under the aegis of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria and Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria have announced that six of their 359 frontline workers have now tested positive to COVID-19.

The PSN and AHAPN urged government to urgently take steps to protect health workers at the frontline of efforts to contain the spread of the viral disease

In two separate interviews, the leadership of AHAPN and PSN lamented the effect of COVID-19 on pharmacists. The PSN President, Sam Ohuabunwa said that 

“Aside from the 359 hospital pharmacists directly involved in attending to COVID-19 patients in hospitals and isolation centres, there are other thousands of community pharmacists out there that are daily exposed to preclinical or asymptomatic patients who see pharmacies as their first port of call.”

According to findings, Lagos, the epicentre of COVID-19, has 61 frontline pharmacists in different capacities, with seven actively involved in the COVID-19 response research team. The other pharmacists are deployed in designated hospitals and isolation centres.

The PSN confirmed that Lagos accounted for five of the six pharmacists who tested positive to the virus.

Findings also reveaed that Akwa Ibom State has a total of 12 pharmacists actively involved in COVID-19 response, with one pharmacists infected in the course of duty.

Speaking with correspondents, Chairman, Committee of Heads of Pharmacy in all federal health institutions across the country, Dr. Daniel Orunmwese, conceded that there could be more cases of infected pharmacists but only six have so far been reported.

“Certainly, there is likely to be more cases of affected frontline workers because the majority of the players are working in different isolation centres and health facilities run by both federal and state governments.

We are keeping a tab on the development in each state and will report when such issue comes to our attention. For now, this is the only verified information,” he said.

AHAPN National Chairman, Dr. Kingsley Amibor shared the same belief when he disclosed that there is an outside chance that the cases are more than the figures reported by chairmen of state hospital pharmacists.

He blamed the exposure of pharmacists to the infection on the perennial challenge of inadequate protective personal equipment and poor funding in isolation centres and health facilities battling COVID-19 in the country.

“Aside from inadequate PPE, we have been complaining about other challenges confronting hospital pharmacists, such as space constraints that make it difficult for patients’ confidentiality, poor funding for drug procurement, inequitable remuneration and no opportunity for pharmacovigilance.

You will be surprised to hear that some health facilities in this country lack fans and air conditioners. The medicine storage conditions are also nothing to write home about in some places,” he said.

Amibor further observed that some hospitals are still involved in manual documentation of inventory and pharmaceutical care activities which is always tedious and time-consuming.

“These are areas we are hoping the Federal Government and the Ministry of Health can help look into,” he said.

It would be recalled that the Nigerian Medical Association disclosed some weeks back that about 300 doctors and other health workers in the country had been diagnosed with COVID-19 while caring for patients who had contracted the highly contagious disease.

The NMA attributed the problem largely to lack of necessary personal protective equipment needed to guard them against the infection when interfacing with the patients.

It would be recalled also that the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu recently revealed that 812 healthcare workers had tested positive to COVID-19.

Ihekweazu had disclosed at the daily briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja last Tuesday that 29 of the affected healthcare workers were NCDC staff.

On the other hand, Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire seemed to believe that the spread of infection among health workers was due to lack of adequate knowledge by the frontline personnel on how to protect themselves when in contact with patients.

Ehanire argued that majority of the infected frontline workers were chiefly from private health facilities, adding that only a few doctors, nurses and other workers from the various government-owned health facilities and isolation centres have had such a problem because they have been trained on how to handle COVID-19 patients, even during emergencies.

According to the World Health Organisation, for every COVID-19 frontline worker infected with the virus, hundreds of patients in dire need of his expertise would get less care than originally expected.

Abia State Governor tests positive to COVID-19

Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state has tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Commissioner for Information in Abia, John Okiyi Kalu, disclosed this in a statement on Monday, June 8, 2020.

Ikpeazu had gone into isolation following the death of his Commissioner for Environment, Solomon Ogunji, on May 24.

Ogunji was suspected to have died of hypertension. However, tests for COVID-19 on his remains returned positive.

The governor had advised Abia Exco members who had contact with Ogunji, before his death, to also observe self-isolation until they had been tested for the virus.

The state's deputy governor, Ude Chukwu, will stand-in for Ikpeazu until he's declared fit to return to work.

In March, Ikpeazu had said COVID-19 will not come anywhere near his state because Abia is the only state mentioned in the Bible.

"Abia is the only state that is mentioned in the Bible. We have a promise from God that none of these diseases...none will touch God's people. And I hold onto God's promise. We saw Ebola, it did not get to us. We saw monkey pox, it didn't get to us.

Even this one (COVID-19), will also pass us by in Jesus name. Amen." Abia has reported 83 COVID-19 cases and 7 recoveries as of June 7, 2020.

COVID-19 : Discharged cases exceed 1000

With the release of 31 more patients from Lagos isolation centres, over 1000 coronavirus patients who have fully recovered from the virus have now been discharged in the state.

The State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced this in a statement. He said the total number of patients that have been successfully managed at the state's isolation centres and discharged is now 1,025.

“Good people of Lagos, today, 31 fully recovered ‪#COVID19 Lagos‬ patients, 25 males and 6 females, were discharged from the Onikan, Gbagada, Agidingbi, Lekki and Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) isolation facilities to reunite with the society.

The patients, 6 from Onikan, 4 from Gbagada, 2 from Agidingbi, 6 from Lekki and 13 from LUTH isolation centres were discharged having fully recovered and tested negative to ‪#COVID19‬.

With this, the number of ‪#COVID19‬ confirmed cases that have been successfully managed and discharged in Lagos has risen to 1025,” he said.

Lagos is the epicentre of coronavirus in Nigeria and currently, the state has a total of 5,729 out of 12,233 confirmed cases in the country.

Meanwhile, the state Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi has said that the state may run out of bed spaces in less that one month if it continues to record a high number of cases daily.

New Zealand to lift all restrictions and resume normal life

New Zealand is set to lift almost all its restrictions put in place to check coronavirus. It was reported that there are no active cases in the country. 

People will be able to return to work, school, sports events and domestic travel without constraints. However, borders will remain closed. 

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told reporters that she did "a little dance" when she was told that the country no longer had any active virus cases. She said,

"While the job is not done, there is no denying this is a milestone. So can I finish with a very simple Thank you, New Zealand".

COVID-19 : Runaway patient arrested in Ondo market

A female patient suffering from the coronavirus disease has escaped from her point of treatment. However, she was arrested on Saturday evening at the popular Oja-Oba market in Akure.

She was picked up where she was selling second-hand clothes popularly known as ‘okrika’.

The lady was diagnosed with the deadly disease in Imo State before she travelled down to the Ondo State capital without submitting herself for treatment.

The Independent reported that Ondo state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Wahab Adegbenro said that Imo and Ondo Governments mounted surveillance for the patient upon discovering that she escaped.

Dr. Adegbenro said that while the patient is being treated at the state Infectious Disease Hospital, in Igbatoro road, Akure, contact tracing of the patient’s family, friends, and neighbours had begun. 

Those who transacted business with the woman have also been urged to report for come in for testing.

COVID-19 : Food prices skyrocket to 15.03% in two years

Reports have it that for the first time in two years, food prices have hit 15.03% in April. This is reportedly the the highest it has gotten since March 2018. 

It is safe to say that the skyrocket was caused largely by the coronavirus pandemic crisis, which trigger the hike in inflation. We learnt that the inflation was quickened by rise in food prices.

According to its May report, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reports that Nigeria’s annual inflation rate rose to 12.34 per cent in April, from 12.26 per cent recorded in the previous month.

The calculation of the statistical office showed that the lockdown of Abuja, Lagos and Ogun States for almost two months to contain the COVID-19 pandemic largely impacted the rise in food prices.

Within that period, consumer prices rose 1.02 per cent, picking up from the 0.84 per cent increase seen in March, according to FocusEconomics report.

To say that the food sector is greatly feeling the impact of COVID-19 is to say the least. Our checks revealed that the sector experiences severe impact of the disease on each stage of the value chain.

As earlier predicted by stakeholders that a prolonged outbreak of the pandemic would lead to economic instability and inflation, Nigerians are already feeling pains of high cost of food.

For now, 50kg bag of rice (premium Local) which sold for N18, 000 is now N21, 000; a paint bucket of Garri, that went for N300 and N350 is now N1, 300; a kilogram of chicken previously sold at N1, 100 is now N1, 500/kg; 50kg basket of tomato initially sold for between N4, 000 to N5, 000, currently sells for between N13, 000 to N15, 000; medium sized tuber of yam sold for N500 now N1, 200; 25 litres keg of palm oil from N9, 000 to N11, 000. This cuts across almost all categories of produce.

It was learnt that a bag of flour that sold N9, 000 before COVID-19, now goes for N13, 000, while a bag of sugar now costs N24, 000 as against the former price of N13, 000. Butter is now N12, 000 against N7, 500, while a bag of milk, which was N29, 000, now goes for N52, 000.

Two weeks ago, the Lagos State chapter of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria, threatened to increase the price of bread by 60 per cent if there is no urgent intervention from government to halt the rising prices of baking materials.

They claimed that aside the prices of flour, sugar and other materials that have gone up, packaging cost has also increased from N10, 000 to N12, 000, likewise prices of salt, yeast and other baking materials, hitting the rooftop.

Founder of Menitos Farms, Tolulope Daramola, attributed the rising price increase to problem of transportation and dearth of farm hands. 

“Food prices at the farms are still pretty much at the same price. Some foods have had their prices reduced at the farms due to storage issues. So products price increase is quite relative to how often it is transported before it gets to its destination.

Another serious issue is that farms are actually stalling operations due to lack of labourers and where available, they come at a high cost. A number of farms are selling out their harvest, but not replanting, this is adding to prices of the produce.”

Daramola said in a situation when dying from hunger becomes a reality, priorities are shifted. She added that education and healthcare would take the back seat for most citizens, especially when the risk of exposure to COVID-19 is added.

“Unfortunately, I am hearing the budget allocated to these two (Education and healthcare) has also been cut. I foresee prices going higher, so I propose that more people should try their hands at growing basic, even if it’s just for home consumption to checkmate the potential famine.”

To the Co-founder, Farmvilla Resource Centre, Oyo State, Yinka Adesola, food wastage, especially perishable goods due to the period of the lockdown and problem of transportation are largely responsible for the current inflation.

“Currently, there is food scarcity even on the farm. There is no food import from neighbouring countries, it seems they are also badly affected by the food losses. So, the few in circulation will be for the highest bidder.

We should buckle up for more inflation. The farmers that make those COVID-19 losses may not be able to produce another again due to finance. Food production will be massively reduced, while food price will keep going up.”

108 year old Italian woman recovers from COVID-19

Fatima Negrini, a 108 year old woman from northern Italy, has joined the ranks of the very few centenarians who have recovered from COVID-19.

“God forgot about me,” Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera quoted Negrini as saying in its Saturday edition, reporting that the woman turned 108 on Wednesday.

The paper published a picture of the wheelchair-bound Negrini in front of a chocolate and cream cake, flanked by a carer with a giant heart-shaped birthday card.

The card said, “Fatima 108 We Love You!!! S. Faustino.”

"Negrini has been a resident for many years of the Anni Azzurri San Faustino nursing home in Milan", a spokesman for the facility told dpa.

"She caught the novel coronavirus in April and tested negative in mid-May, and was “always” an asymptomatic COVID-19 patient", he added.

According to Corriere, Negrini has three sons aged 89, 88, and 78, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Italy is one of the countries worst hit by the novel coronavirus, and the impact of the pandemic has been particularly hard on nursing homes in Milan’s Lombardy region.

On Friday, the Italian Civil Protection agency reported 33,774 fatalities, the world’s fourth-highest death toll after the U.S., Britain, and Brazil.

In Negrini’s nursing home, several residents died. 

“Fatima hasn’t realized yet who is no longer around,” Laura Catena, the assistant in the birthday picture, told Corriere.

The San Faustino facility is part of the KOS group, an Italian private healthcare operator which last year bought German nursing home group Charleston.

42% of Nigerians lost their jobs due to COVID-19 - NBS

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has said that from its recent survey, they found that 42% of Nigerians have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

They revealed that the study was carried out between April to May 2020. This is the period when the index case was identified in the country. 

From the study, we learnt that the impact of COVID-19 has been most strongly felt in the commerce, service and agriculture sectors.

While seventy-nine percent of households surveyed reported that their households’ total income have decreased since mid-March, NBS added that the economic shock experienced by Nigerians after the outbreak of Coronavirus far exceeds shocks experienced between 2017 and 2019.

In its report titled "COVID-19 IMPACT MONITORING", the NBS said,

“In order to track the impacts of the pandemic, the National Bureau of Statistics implemented the Nigeria COVID-19 National Longitudinal Phone Survey (COVID-19 NLPS) on a nationally representative sample of 1,950 households. 

The most widely reported shock experienced by households was an increase in prices of major food items faced by 85 percent of households since the outbreak compared to only 19 percent between January 2017 and January 2019."

Lagos : Churches and mosques to reopen on June 19

Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has lifted the ban on religious gatherings in the state, starting from June 19, 2020.

During a media briefing on Thursday, June 4, the governor said his government will allow a restricted opening of religious houses based on compliance reviewed with the state's safety commission.

The governor said mosques are allowed to reopen on June 19, while churches are allowed to reopen on June 21.

Noting that mass gatherings can increase the spread of the coronavirus, Sanwo-Olu said churches and mosques can only reopen at a maximum of 40% of their capacity. "Even if your 40% capacity is really so large, you cannot have beyond 500 (people), and keeping the maximum capacity is really important," he said.

The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 had announced on Monday, June 1, 2020 that it was lifting the ban even though the number of cases keep rising in the country.

80% of the world to take COVID-19 vaccine - Bill Gates

According to American billionaire, Bill Gates, over 80% of the population of the world will be needing to take a vaccine for the coronavirus disease. He said that this is the only way it will work as a remedy to the pandemic.

The founder of Microsoft, has been the target of many conspiracy theories alleging that he has sinister motives behind pushing for vaccines for coronavirus, and other diseases.

While some conspiracy theorists allege that he wants to use the pretext of the vaccine to inject people with microchips to track them, some others say it's part of his evil plan to depopulate the world.

Others have suggested that the virus was deliberately unleashed on the world so that people can make money from selling a cure.

Some of the theories have circulated in Nigeria where 11,516 coronavirus cases have been recorded, killing 323 people.

In an interview with Radio 4 on Thursday, June 4, 2020, Bill Gates said that such theories are harmful to the efforts to save the world from the coronavirus pandemic.

The billionaire said such outrageous theories could derail efforts to get a majority of the world to take the vaccines and put an end to the coronavirus disease. He said,

"It is troubling that in times like that, and accelerated by digital tools, there is so much craziness.

Eventually when we have the vaccine, we will want to develop the herd immunity to have over 80 per cent of the population taken.

If they have heard that it is a plot, or vaccines in general are bad, and we don't have people willing to take the vaccine, then that will let the disease continue to kill people.

So it is a bit worrying that there is some of that crazy stuff.

We just write cheques to pharma companies (and) we happen to have a lot of the smart pharmaceutical expertise in our foundation, and are considered a fair broker between governments and the companies to help pick the best approach".

Kogi government not aware of third COVID-19 case

The Kogi government has denied knowledge of a third coronavirus case detected in the state. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced in its daily update that one new case was recorded in the state on Wednesday, June 3, 2020.

However, the state's Commissioner for Health, Saka Haruna, announced in a Facebook post on Thursday, June 4 that the patient is unknown to the state's authorities.

"We are not aware of who the patient is, where and when the test was conducted. No sample sent from KG (Kogi Government)," he said.

Kogi had similarly rejected the first two coronavirus cases which were announced as belonging to the state last week.

The cases were tested at the National Hospital in Abuja, after the patients were moved from Lokoja, Kogi's capital, after showing COVID-19 symptoms.

The state's Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, said during an interview on Channels Television on Thursday, May 28 that the declaration of the cases is fraudulent and fails a major credibility test.

"It's a backdoor declaration laden with a lot of fraud and falsehood.

As a state government, we completely reject such declarations because they do not even conform to the protocol set by the NCDC itself," he said.

Fanwo claimed the cases didn't show any coronavirus symptoms when admitted at the Federal Medical Centre in Lokoja.

He said all 13 contacts of the cases, a chief imam and his son, that had been located by the government all tested negative for the novel disease.

Despite the government's denial, Governor Yahaya Bello this week ordered 14-day total lockdown of Kabba-Bunu LGA where the cases were detected.

Nigeria has recorded 11,166 coronavirus cases in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

NMA predicts Nigeria's fate if governors take over Covid-19 battle

The Nigerian Medical Association has predicted the fate of Nigeria if governors are allowed to take over the battle against COVID-19.

They revealed that Nigeria will be finished if such happens in the country.

The President of NMA, Prof. Innocent Ujah, said this on Monday during an interview on Sunrise Daily programme of Channels Television.

He said that President Muhammadu Buhari should not delegate such powers to the state governors “because apart from Lagos and maybe one or two other states, the commitment is, to say the least, very disappointing.

“I can say that because I’m a clinician myself. I believe that the president should please not devolve those powers. This is an emergency.

Coordination is very important and the coordination should be central, should be from a point because once you do that, Nigerians will be finished. And we pray that he doesn’t do that.”

He urged the Federal government to set up a research team to regularly evaluate the country’s response to COVID-19.

He said that doing this was important to enable the country to ascertain what was working or not, making the necessary impact in its COVID -19 response.

He said it was also important to include a research team in the composition of the Presidential Task force on COVID-19. He said: 

“As a researcher, I think we should have a strong research team to be part of PTF. I’m not aware that the PTF has a research team and we must evaluate and monitor what we do.

We need a research team that’ll monitor regularly what we’re doing otherwise, we will be groping in the dark. The response must be evaluated by the research team.

If you say we should wear a face mask, what is the percentage of Nigerians wearing masks in Abuja? You say social distancing, that is completely out. We don’t have social distancing as far as I’m concerned.”

Aisha Buhari donates towards the fight against COVID-19

The First Lady of Nigeria, Hajiya Aisha Muhammadu Buhari has lent a helping hand towards the fight against the coronavirus pandemic in the country.

Through her Future Assured initiative, Aisha has been able to renovate and equip a building at the Mararraba Gurku Medical Centre, Nasarawa state. 

This renovated and equipped building is going to serve as an isolation centre for the management of people who are infected with the coronavirus disease.

In a Facebook post, the First Lady made it known that it is part of her efforts and commitment to complement government efforts in the response to the COVID 19 pandemic.

“In addition to this, I also donated some Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and some essential dr*ugs to Nasarawa state government, for the benefit of the good people of the state.

The items included hand sanitizers, surgical face mask, N95 respirator masks, multivitamins, antimalarials, analgesics, intravenous fluids, and oral antibiotics.

Food items were also donated as palliatives to the health care workers,” she stated.

Last month, Hajiya Aisha Buhari donated food item, which includes bags of rice, to religious groups at the peak of the total lockdown across the country.

The donation was made on Monday and Tuesday, May 4 and 5 through the First Lady's representative, Dr Hajo Sani, who is also the senior special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on women affairs.

Around the same period, Hajiya Aisha Buhari praised her predecessor, Mrs Patience Jonathan, for her contributions towards the fight against the novel coronavirus.

The first lady disclosed in a statement on Thursday, April 23 that the former first lady willingly released her building to be used as a Covid-19 isolation centre temporarily.

She also listed donated items as hospital beds, bedsheets, PPEs and medications.

Meanwhile, as Nigeria prepares for life after the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government has assured citizens that it will soon roll out additional stimulus packages for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across the country.

This was disclosed by the special assistant to the president on MSME in the office of the vice president, Tola Johnson.