Longest ‘viability period’ of COVID-19 in a patient is 10 days —NCDC

The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, said on Wednesday the longest viability period of the COVID-19 in a patient was 10 days.

Ihekweazu, who disclosed this at the Presidential Task Force (PTF) media briefing in Abuja, said the agency’s strategy on managing COVID-19 patients was guided by the latest local and international scientific evidence.

He added that the NCDC would evaluate if the latest evidence could be incorporated into its patient clinical management plan.

Ihekweazu said the NCDC would release new case management guidelines for COVID-19 to review criteria for admission and discharge of patients.

He noted that the move would help in managing challenges faced in isolation centres across the country, particularly with the shortage of bed space.

READ ALSO: We can’t accurately measure a state’s success against COVID-19 without testing —NCDC

The NCDC chief said: “We are now relooking our practice in terms of discharge criteria, and even who to keep in hospital, and who can stay at home and for how long.

“Right now, the entire case management team which includes our colleagues at the Federal Ministry of Health, NCDC and few clinicians are reviewing our case management guidelines to redefine our approach around admission in terms of who is admitted and duration of admission and when to discharge.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now