WHO TO BEGIN COVID-19 DRUG TRIAL IN LAGOS, OGUN, FCT, OTHERS
Nigeria has joined more
than 100 other countries to participate in the World Health Organisation
(WHO)’s “solidarity trial treatment” for COVID-19.
The arrangement is part of
the efforts of the international health organisation’s effective treatment
regimen and vaccine to combat coronavirus in the shortest possible time.
Minister of Health Dr.
Osagie Ehanire, who announced this on Monday at the briefing by the
Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 in Abuja on Monday said: “Federal
Government is cooperating with the WHO on treatment regimen solidarity trial
with the following states enrolled; Lagos, Ogun, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kano and the
Federal Capital Territory (FCT).”
The minister, however, did
not state when the trial will begin and the modalities for it.
More than 1,200 patients
have been randomised from the first five countries to evaluate the safety and
efficiency of the drug combinations, it was learnt.
According to the agency,
“the Solidarity Trial will compare four treatment options against standard of
care, to assess their relative effectiveness against COVID-19”. By enrolling
patients in multiple countries, the Solidarity Trial aims to rapidly discover
whether any of the drugs slow disease progression or improve survival. Other
drugs can be added based on emerging evidence.
The international health
body added that “As of April 21 2020, over 100 countries are working together
to find effective therapeutics as soon as possible, via the trial.
“The greater the number of
participating countries, the faster results will be generated. WHO is
facilitating access to thousands of treatment courses for the trial through
donations from a number of manufacturers.
“Until there is sufficient
evidence, WHO cautions against physicians and medical associations recommending
or administering these unproven treatments to patients with COVID-19 or people
self-medicating with them.”
The minister said Nigeria
has conducted 27,078 COVID-19 tests with 4,399 cases in 34 states and the FCT.
He gave the ratio of infection as 70 per cent for men to 30 per cent for women.
Dr. Ehanire added: “Kogi
and Cross River States have not reported any cases, but we are optimistic that
we can work with the State Health Ministry to validate this in due course, when
we engage the state authorities.
“A team from the Ministry
of Health, made up of experts from various specialties, including the Nigeria
Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), is on standby to proceed to Calabar as soon
as travel arrangements can be made, taking with them, resource to support the
health system.
“Senior management of the
Federal Ministry of Health and clinical case managers in our hospitals, this
morning participated in a multinational teleconference with Chinese medical and
academic experts in Beijing, where much insight was gained into the treatment
strategy of China and other matters of common interest were discussed. The
learnings from this intervention are invaluable in reexamining our methods.
“It is important that our
response to COVID-19 be a concerted national, collaborative drive, to stand a
better chance of being effective. So far, our efforts are yielding result as
shown in states where panic and scare were initially rife, but now subsumed.”
He Minister explained that
the 260 ThisDay Dome treatment and isolation bed facility for COVID -19,
situated in the Central Business District, Abuja, is ready for use and will be
commissioned on Tuesday.
According to him, “The
ThisDay Dome treatment center, a project of the Coalition Against COVID-19
(CACOVID) is complete and ready for commissioning tomorrow. The Hon. Minister
of FCT will participate in the event.
“This center is fully
self-contained, coming with a PCR Laboratory, a fully equipped ICU and an
incinerator. This over 260 bed facility adds tremendous boost to the FCT
capacity and capabilities.”
Source: The Nation
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