NCDC cautions Nigerians on COVID-19, says virus is ‘spreading fast and causing deaths’

The Director-General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, on Monday, alerted Nigerians on the dangerous dimension the COVID-19 pandemic had taken in recent weeks.

Ihekweazu, who spoke on the matter at the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 media briefing in Abuja, reminded the citizens that the pandemic was spreading fast, causing mild symptoms in some victims and severe illnesses or death in others.

According to him, many victims had continued to experience fatigue and other symptoms even after recovery.

The NCDC chief said: “We have now reported over 100,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nigeria and this is a stark reminder of the reality we live in now.

READ ALSO: If sick, first test for COVID-19 before treating malaria, NCDC boss tells Nigerians

“A virus that has affected over 100,000 lives and led to over 1,300 deaths within 11 months in Nigeria, with millions more globally.

“We cannot be too careful. The silent face of COVID-19 with which you cannot tell whether someone has the virus or not, the only option before us is to take protective measures at all times.”

He also challenged health workers to maintain a higher index of suspicion for COVID-19, noting that “if people are unwell, they should first rule out COVID-19 before treating malaria.”

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