NCDC DG: It’s unlikely for us to stop this outbreak but we have two weeks to make a difference

Chikwe Ihekweazu, director-general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), says it is unlikely for the agency to stop the coronavirus outbreak.

Speaking at the press conference organised by the presidential task force on COVID-19 on Tuesday in Abuja, Ihekweazu said the challenge before the health sector is to show that the economy can be reopened while maintaining a public health response.

The DG said the health sector has additional two weeks of lockdown to prove to the federal government that it is possible for that to happen.

President Muhammadu Buhari extended the lockdown in the federal capital territory (FCT), Lagos and Ogun states by another 14 days on Monday.

“The goal of the lockdown from what we know about the virus is not to stop the outbreak, it is unlikely that we can stop this outbreak, but what we are trying to achieve is that we can work efficiently within the context of reopening the economy,” he said.

“Our challenge from the public health point of view is to show that we can reopen slowly and maintain a public health response within a slowly calibrated reopened economy. That is what we have to demonstrate and we have two weeks across to the country and the leadership that it is possible.”

When asked about the challenges persons living with disabilities (PWDs) might face if they test positive for the disease, Ihekweazu said: “I know that people living with disabilities need a little extra care but I trust that the clinician will be in the best place to do this.

“On disability, we treat everyone the same. As far as I know we haven’t had any patient that has a disability, I can know that for sure because it is only the clinician managing these patients in Lagos, Edo and wherever, we have 19 states affected now but I would not know the personal circumstances of any.

“We try to treat every patient the same, whether you are a senior citizen, a junior citizen, people with disabilities, black, white – our goal and aspiration in public health is that we treat everyone the same.”