Chikwe Ihekweazu, director general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), says it is too early to conclude that the death rate of coronavirus in the country is low.
He spoke at a media briefing organised by the presidential task force on COVID-19 on Thursday.
As of 9pm on April 1, 2020, Nigeria had recorded 184 cases of coronavirus infections. Of that figure, 20 persons have been discharged and two have died.
While responding to the question on the reasons for Nigeria’s low fatality ratio compared to other countries, the NDCD DG said rather than focus on that, since efforts are ongoing to limit spread, the centre is focused on early identification of cases, and providing the best treatment possible.
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“It’s too early to talk about anything being low or high. You can see the numbers from other countries. We’re at just under 200 cases. There are still cases in our treatment centres. It’s too early to try and conclude that the case fatality ratio is low, not to talk about the reasons for its being low,” he said.
“The message is for everyone to keep pushing on; the care provided, early identification, bring them into care; let’s provide the best treatment possible, and hope that we can keep those numbers as low as they are.”
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