News
WHO Will No Longer Make Use of Hydroxychloroquine & Lopinavir/Ritonavir as Treatments for COVID-19
Nigeria records 603 new cases of coronavirus
On Saturday, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) recorded 603 new cases of coronavirus.
A breakdown of the new cases across different states in the country is as follows: Lagos recorded 135 new cases, Edo-87, FCT-73, Rivers-67, Delta-62, Ogun-47, Kaduna-20, Plateau-19, Osun-17, Ondo-16, Enugu-15, Oyo-15, Borno-13, Niger-6, Nasarawa-4, Kebbi-3, Kano-2, Sokoto-1, Abia-1.
There are 28,167 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country. 11,642 patients have been discharged and 634 deaths have been recorded.
A breakdown of cases by state can be found via https://t.co/zQrpNeOfet#TakeResponsibility pic.twitter.com/rXZiersQfl
— NCDC (@NCDCgov) July 4, 2020
*********************************************
WHO will no longer study the use of hydroxychloroquine as treatments for COVID-19
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Saturday it would no longer continue studying the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir/ritonavir as treatments for COVID-19.
WHO made the decision based on the Solidarity Trial’s interim results, which show that hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir/ritonavir produce little or no reduction in deaths of hospitalized Covid-19 patients, WHO said in a statement.
“For each of the drugs, the interim results do not provide solid evidence of increased mortality,” WHO said, but there were “some associated safety signals” that will be reported in the peer-reviewed publication of the findings. This decision applies only to the trial in hospitalized patients and does not affect studies of prevention or treatments in non-hospitalized patients.
WHO paused the hydroxychloroquine study in May due to safety concerns, then later restarted it.
WHO accepted the recommendation from the Solidarity Trial’s International Steering Committee to discontinue the trial’s hydroxychloroquine and the lopinavir/ritonavir arms.
More https://t.co/dCxHqBIwtr#COVID19 #coronavirus
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) July 4, 2020
The Solidarity Trial was established by WHO to find an effective #COVID19 treatment for hospitalized patients.https://t.co/dCxHqBIwtr#coronavirus
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) July 4, 2020
*********************************************
322 Nigerians evacuated from the US have arrived in Nigeria
The evacuated Nigerians departed the US onboard an Ethiopian airline flight and arrived at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos on Saturday, July 4.
According to the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), all the evacuees tested negative for COVID-19 and will now proceed into the mandatory 14 days self-isolation.
NIDCOM wrote on Twitter:
Evacuation Update: 322 Evacuees arrives at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos via @flyethiopia ET 509 from the USA. All Evacuees tested Negative to #COVID19 and will now proceed on 14 days SELF-ISOLATION as mandated by @NCDCgov, @Fmohnigeria, and PTF on #COVID-19.
All Evacuees tested Negative to #COVID19 and will now proceed on 14 days SELF-ISOLATION as mandated by @NCDCgov, @Fmohnigeria, and PTF on #COVID-19.
2/2@NigeriaGov @DigiCommsNG— Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (@nidcom_gov) July 4, 2020
While welcoming the evacuees, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairman of the Commission, said another flight from India with evacuated Nigerians is expected in the hours of tomorrow, July 5.
”Welcome home from the USA, as we await flight from India in the early hours of tomorrow.” Dabiri-Erewa tweeted.
Welcome home from the USA , as we await flight from India in the early hours of tomorrow https://t.co/6ntY8JVgxE
— Abike Dabiri-Erewa (@abikedabiri) July 4, 2020
*********************************************
109 Nigerians evacuated from India have arrived in Nigeria
The evacuated Nigerians departed India onboard an Airpeace airline flight and arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Lagos on Saturday, July 4.
According to the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), all the evacuees tested negative for COVID-19 and will now proceed into the mandatory 14 days self-isolation.
109 Evacuees from India arrive Nnamdi Azikiwe Int’l Airport, Abuja at 1940HRS via @flyairpeace Flight B777-200 from India today, Saturday 4th of July, 2020.
35 Evacuees disembark in Abuja while 74 will proceed to Murtala Muhammed Int’l Airport, Lagos. All Evacuees tested Negative to #COVID19 and will now proceed on 14 days SELF-ISOLATION as mandated by @NCDCgov, @Fmohnigeria and PTF on #COVID-19.
All Evacuees tested Negative to #COVID19 and will now proceed on 14 days SELF-ISOLATION as mandated by @NCDCgov, @Fmohnigeria and PTF on #COVID-19.@NigeriaGov @DigiCommsNG @ToluSadipe @toluogunlesi @AyoOyalowo
2/2 pic.twitter.com/xBYsea4Et6— Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (@nidcom_gov) July 4, 2020
*********************************************
Benue State Governor’s wife & son tests positive for COVID-19
The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has confirmed that his wife, Eunice Ortom, and Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Anthony Ijohor, have tested positive for the virus and have immediately gone into isolation.
According to The Guardian, she said in a statement:
Few moments ago this evening, I received my result from the tests earlier carried out on me by NCDC personnel on routine screening at Government House, Makurdi, which returned that I, my son, and some staff are COVID-19 positive.
We have from this moment, gone into total isolation as required by the protocol and would immediately begin the management treatment as advised by medical experts.
While I have taken the responsibility to personally call everyone I can recall to have had recent contact with me to go for testing, I advise everyone who has had close contact with me in the last 2 weeks and the public to go for screening and testing.
I wish to reiterate that being COVID-19 positive is not a death sentence as evident by the many recoveries recorded thus far, so there is no need to panic, but we should continue to be responsible in our actions so as to keep others safe. I am encouraging people to take preventive measures to be protected and be safe by observing the primary protocols. Stay safe!! COVID-19 is real.
*********************************************
Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi test positive for COVID-19
Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi state has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The Governor confirmed this in a statement personally signed by him on Saturday, July 4, The Guardian reports.
Umahi in a statement said some of his close aides also tested positive for the virus. He further disclosed that they aren’t showing any symptoms but have since gone into isolation in line with protocols laid down by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
He has directed his deputy, Kelechi Igwe, to take over the frontline coordination of the state’s fight against the pandemic. Appealed to the citizens of Ebonyi state, to take the NCDC protocols more seriously while stating that he’s working from home and will conduct all meetings virtually.
*********************************************
India reports largest single-day jump with 24,850 new cases on Saturday
The country has now recorded 673,165 cases of the virus, and 19,268 deaths, according to its Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. India has 235,433 active cases, while 394,227 patients have recovered so far.
The western state of Maharashtra remains worst affected with 200,064 cases and 8,671 deaths, followed by the southern state of Tamil Nadu, which has recorded 107,001 cases, and the national capital Delhi, with known 97,200 cases. India has tested more than 9.7 million samples for Covid-19.
*********************************************
The US records more than 45,000 new coronavirus cases in a single day
According to Johns Hopkins University’s tally, the United States has recorded at least 2,839,436 cases of coronavirus, including 129,676 deaths.
On Saturday, Johns Hopkins University reported 45,283 new cases and 242 new deaths. The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases.
*********************************************
Japan reported 274 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday
According to the country’s Health Ministry, nearly half of those infections were in Tokyo, where the city’s metropolitan government said people in their 20s and 30s were driving the spike in infections. Saturday’s figures followed 249 news cases on Friday and 194 on Thursday.
Japan now reported 22,234 confirmed cases, including 990 recorded deaths. Government minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said on Sunday that the resumption of a state of emergency was not necessary, describing the new cases as “light or asymptomatic” and not a burden to Japan’s healthcare system.
