Daily COVID Tracker: NCDC logs 344 infections in 19 states, eight fatalities

Nigeria on Tuesday recorded 344 cases of COVID-19. Here are five updates about the pandemic this Wednesday. 

Human rights lawyer launches ‘COVID Law Series’ to educate Nigerians

Jake Okechukwu Effoduh, human rights lawyer, has launched a programme to educate Nigerians on the legal issues of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The programme, #COVIDLawSeries, was launched on September 27, and it addresses questions bordering on human rights as it relates to the COVID-19 protocol.

In a statement, Effoduh said the programme provides the public with “substantive and analytical information on the law regarding the coronavirus”.

The nine-part programme series will explore how citizens’ rights and legal obligations are being re-contextualised in the face of a world-altering health disaster.

UNICEF: One in six Nigerian youths developed mental health conditions over COVID restrictions

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says one out of six Nigerian youths developed mental health conditions as a result of restrictions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday, UNICEF said the findings were the result of a survey carried out in 21 countries — including Nigeria.

“Indeed, the pandemic has taken its toll. According to early findings from an international survey conducted by UNICEF and Gallup of children and adults in 21 countries, including Nigeria – which is previewed in The State of the World’s Children 2021 – a median of 1 in 5 young people aged 15–24 surveyed said they often feel depressed or have little interest in doing things,” the statement reads.

“In Nigeria, 1 in 6 young people aged 15-24 surveyed said they often feel depressed, have little interest in doing things, or are worried, nervous or anxious.”

Nigeria records 344 cases

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has reported 344 additional cases of COVID-19.

The agency in its update for October 5, 2021, said the new cases were recorded in 18 states and the federal capital territory (FCT).

The states that reported new cases are FCT (79), Lagos (62), Rivers (45), Kaduna (33), Plateau (22), Edo (16), Benue (13), Kano (12), Cross River (11) and Delta (11).

Other states are Anambra (9), Abia (8), Jigawa (7), Bauchi (4), Ekiti (4), Kwara (4), Oyo (2), Akwa Ibom (1) and  Nasarawa (1).

The agency said eight deaths were recorded on Tuesday, leaving the total number of fatalities at 2,731.

Also, 308 patients recovered from the infection on Tuesday.

The NCDC noted that Tuesday’s data includes 40 discharged cases reported from Plateau for  October 4 and 5 2021.

To date, Nigeria has reported 206, 623 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 194,475 recoveries.

J&J seeks approval of COVID vaccine booster shot

Johnson & Johnson says it has submitted data to the US Food and Drug Administration for emergency use approval of a booster shot of its COVID vaccine in people aged 18 and above.

The drugmaker said the data submitted include a late-stage study which found that a booster administered 56 days after the primary dose provided 94 percent protection against symptomatic COVID-19 and 100 percent protection against severe disease.

Spain authorises COVID booster shot for people 70 years and above

Spain has approved a third dose of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for people aged 70 and above.

The booster shot campaign will begin at the end of October.

The south-western European country earlier approved booster shots for cancer patients, nursing home residents and other vulnerable groups.