Nigerian microbiologists offer services towards COVID-19 response

Microbiologists in Nigeria have offered their services to the federal and state governments of the country to help in their fight against COVID-19, the global pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus, SARS–CoV–2.

The microbiologists, under the umbrella of The Nigerian Society for Microbiology (NSM), made this known today in a press release signed by A. B. Suleiman, the virology representative of the society, and made available to the media today.

The NSM, through Suleiman, a virology expert, while also applauding response measures already implemented by the government, stated that Nigeria being an ethic and religious-diverse country requires extra measures are in taming the COVID-19 beast.

“That Nigeria is a multi-ethnic and religious country, and the most populated in Africa. It also has inadequate healthcare facilities and few experts. Therefore, extra measures are required to educate/sensitize this diverse nation in order to curb the menace of COVID-19 in our communities through prevention.

“We greatly applaud the many right steps of the federal and state governments in implementing strategies that will reduce contamination by the virus.”

Currently, there is no vaccine towards eradication of the virus or drug for treatment of the disease, the society, however, notes that non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) could be key to stopping spread of the virus and reducing its impact in the sick.

“Coupled with the absence of a breakthrough in treatment yet, non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) will serve as the most important response strategy in attempting to delay viral spread and to reduce disease impact”.

The NSM also recommended measures to help stop transmission of the virus, several of which are already being implemented.

Others recommended include protection of healthcare workers, maintenance of trust between people and health institutions, controlling panic to prevent social disruption, provide a real picture of the situation and promote interaction and collaboration of Nigerian scientists at the forefront of the response with the global science community.

The Microbiology society, which recently held its 42nd annual conference late last year at Crawford University, stated that some of its members are taskforce members in national and state COVID-19 task forces, but went further to offer the service of its other experts, including natural product researchers, towards finding a solution to the disease.

This, they posited, could further boost the country’s international image.

“That the Society, through its array of microbiologist, molecular biologist and virologists, including those currently on different national and regional task forces offer their services towards fighting this virus, research and otherwise.

“And because drug repurposing is at the forefront of finding a medical solution to slow down the virus in those infected, the society would galvanize her members, especially the natural product experts, towards making their products available for testing in the government’s quest to stop the spread of the virus.

“That doing this, and many more positive measures already taken, Nigeria could again receive the plaudits as a foremost contributor to disease eradication, just like we achieved with the Ebola disease,” stated the Nigerian research body.

The COVID-19 has affected over 450,000 individuals worldwide with over 80,000 deaths. Nigeria has 81 cases with one death reported, and although no cure has yet been found, two cases have recovered in Nigeria with another six people set to be discharged after recovering from the disease.