COVID-19: Experts fault Nigeria’s infection figures, reopening of economy

Medical experts, on Tuesday faulted the COVID-19 infection figures being released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the reopening of the nation’s economy.

The Chairman, National Technical Committee on COVID-19, Prof. Oyewale Tomori, in a lecture at the opening of the Annual General Meeting of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, University College Hospital, Ibadan, chapter, said the COVID-19 figures being released by the NCDC should not be accepted as given.

Tomori, a lecturer at the Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, while speaking on the theme: ‘Science and Mis-Science of COVID-19’, said the NCDC had given verdicts, which contracted with the reality on ground.

Tomori, who delivered the lecture online, said some of the misinformation about the virus should be discarded.

He said: “The NCDC told us that we reached our peak in July and infection rate has been declining; we need to take this with a pinch of salt.

“The NCDC gives us figures without giving us the details of what is happening.”

Read also: COVID-19: Osinbajo decries economic hardship in Nigeria

Also, in his contribution, the Chairman, UCH Response Team on COVID-19, Prof. Kayode Osungbade, faulted the accuracy of the figures being given at both the federal and state levels.

Osungbade said: “Reopening the airports, the schools, the universities and clubhouses is a threat.”

According to him, the nation needed to be cautious so that it would not be forced to lock down again.

Another speaker, Prof. Wura Sokunbi, shared Tomori’s view on the alleged inaccuracy of the NCDC figures.

Professor Samuel Omokhodion, who chaired the occasion, said Nigeria should not rush to reopen the economy because if a spike was noticed after reopening, it would still come back to have a negative effect on the same economy.

According to him, France and Spain rushed to reopen their beaches and the infection rate surged after that.

“I hope we will not have to go back to lockdown. It is better to err on the side of caution,” he said.

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