The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has said that there is no shame in getting tested and seeking treatment on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the country.
The Head, Department of Surveillance and Epidemiology, NCDC, Mrs Elsie Ilori, said this on Thursday in Abuja at the joint Presidential Task Force Briefing on COVID-19.
Ilori said that in an effort to slow the infection in the country and for it to be effective, Nigerians must play their part as citizens to support efforts by the Federal and State Governments.
“If you are showing symptoms of COVID-19, get tested. If it is a loved one, encourage them to get tested.
“There is no shame in getting tested and seeking treatment.
“We must continue to take responsibility by using a mask in public, maintaining physical distance from others, frequent hand washing and other measures that have been adopted,” she advised.
According to her, At the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, very little was known about the disease but thankfully, we are learning significantly more about it.
She stated that according to research, about 80 per cent of people infected with the COVID-19 virus would experience mild to moderate respiratory symptoms and recover after a period of isolation.
She, however, noted that there were some people who would have severe complications and require intensive care.
“These are mainly the elderly, or persons with existing health conditions such as diabetes, that may have weakened their immune system,” she said.
Ilori said that the agency’s strategy in the country was to promptly detect, isolate and manage cases to recovery.
“However, this is not straightforward when there are a high number of asymptomatic cases which are not easy to detect. Such persons may not even know that they have it.
“The danger of this is the continuous, unintentional spread of the disease, particularly to vulnerable persons who may develop severe complications.
“In Nigeria, the age group with the highest cases of COVID-19 are people between the ages of 31-40.
“But the age group with the highest fatality rates are 50 and above. Unfortunately, at least, 1 out of 10 people over the age of 50 who get COVID-19 will die from it.
“When we ask people to take responsibility, it is beyond protecting themselves, but taking responsibility to protect their loved ones.
“We all know someone who is vulnerable. This could be our elderly parents or friends battling one illness or the other,” she explained.
Ilori said that the truth about COVID-19 was that it could affect anyone and everyone, noting that Nigerians could not afford to become lousy about adhering to preventive measures.
“It is also possible for someone to have an underlying health condition and not know it because they have yet to be diagnosed.
“I would like to emphasise today, particularly for our young people that low risk is not equal no risk,” she stressed.
