Nigeria Records Surge in COVID-19 Infection with 1,584 New Cases

• FG Allocates 350,000 booster doses to Bauchi

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja and Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

The federal government has said that there were a total of 1,584 newly confirmed cases of COVID19 and one death as at Friday night.

With the rising cases the pandemic, the Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (BSPHCDA) disclosed that the federal government allocated 350,000 COVID-19 booster doses to Bauchi to prevent any further spread of the pandemic.

In its COVID-19 update yesterday, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said: “On December 17, 1584 new confirmed cases and 1 death were recorded in Nigeria.”

The centre said till date, 222,655 cases “have been confirmed, while 211,373 cases have been discharged and 2,984 deaths recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

“The 1, 584 new cases are reported from 11 States Lagos (906), FCT (258), Rivers (217), Edo (85), Oyo (50), Ogun (16), Ondo (14), Bayelsa (12), Osun (10), Bauchi (9), and Kano (7),” the centre said.

NCDC explained that a multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre (EOC), activated at Level 2, has been activated to coordinate the national response activities.

At the third annual research day and scientific conference of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBU-TH) yesterday, the executive secretary of BSPHCDA Bauchi would soon supply the booster doses to the state.

He added that booster shots would only be administered to those who had taken their first and second jab of COVID-19 vaccines, to boost their immunity against the Omicron variant.

He said: “Even if you are vaccinated, you can get infected with the mutant Omicron variant of COVID-19. However, the good thing is that people that were vaccinated will not get the severe form of the Omicron variant.

“If you have not taken the vaccines, there is a rule now. There is going to be a booster dose and it would only be given to those that have taken the first and second dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

“To prevent Omicron variant, the only way is to do the booster dose and the federal government will send about 350,000 booster doses next week to Bauchi State,” the executive secretary said.

Mohammed said many people “are still reluctant in taking the vaccination. It is a major challenge because as some educated persons including healthcare workers are yet to take the vaccine.”

He attributed the development “to myths and misconceptions about the COVID-19 vaccine. Addressing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy has never been more important than now because of the emergence of Delta and more recently OMICRON variants.

“If we allow the virus to continue to mutate, it may render all the available vaccines ineffective, therefore, it take us back to square one,” the executive secretary explained.

In his remarks, Prof. Mustapha Jamda of Community Medicine and Public Health Department, University of Abuja, said Nigeria as a country had performed poorly in terms of the administration of COVID-19 when compared to other Africa and global community.

Jamda, also the Chairman, University of Abuja COVID-19 Response Committee, was represented by Dr. Abubakar Difa, Associate Professor, Community Medicine and Public Health, Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe State.

He said that the country’s performance in COVID-19 vaccine administration indicated that there was high level hesitancy and rejection of the vaccine.

“The fact that over a million doses of COVID-19 vaccines expired with less than ten per cent of the population vaccinated has confirmed the assertion that there is truly hesitancy in vaccination in this country,” he said.

He said that the conference would serve as an avenue to make progress towards understanding the dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in Africa, adding that one of the priority of the conference is to understand the factors driving COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and rejection in the country.

Also speaking, Consultant Urologist and Deputy Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee of the ATBU-TH, Dr Haruna Liman commended the management for transforming the hospital and improving the staff welfare.

He said hosting of the annual research day at the hospital, indicated the readiness of the management in recognising the importance of research as one of its three core mandates.