NCDC: We’re considering managing COVID-19 patients in their homes

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control says it is considering the management of COVID-19 patients in their homes.

Chikwe Ihekweazu, director-general of the NCDC, spoke about this at the presidential task force on COVID-19 briefing on Thursday.

According to him, there are challenges with getting enough bed spaces at isolation centres, and as such, patients may have to self-isolate in their homes under strict guidelines.

“Ultimately, we might have to change our strategy a little bit, start considering home care in certain circumstances, where first we are able to provide a room where a patient can be managed sufficiently, and secondly we’re able to support the care by enabling healthcare workers come to that,” he said.

“But we will always be honest with Nigerians. We are struggling at the moment. We might have to adapt our strategy because of the realities we face over the next few days and weeks and as we do that, we’ll make that clear to Nigerians.

“Our policy hasn’t changed, but the pressure is there and that might have to change in the next few days.”

He also announced that there were plans to expand testing in Lagos, Kano and the federal capital territory, which currently have the highest number of active COVID-19 cases in the country.

“We are in the process of scaling up testing across the country and the key component that has changed in this is that in Lagos, Abuja and Kano, instead of waiting for people to call us, we are now going to where the patients are,” he added.

According to the NCDC situation report of April 29, 2020, of Nigeria’s total of 1,728 confirmed cases, 1,370 are active.