Coronavirus: 113 Nigerian Health Workers Test Positive – Minister

Scientific staff members works in a secure laboratory, researching the coronavirus, at the Pasteur Institute in Dakar on February 3, 2020. - The Pasteur Institute in Dakar, designated by the African Union as one of the two reference centres in Africa for the detection of the new coronavirus that appeared in China, is hosting experts from 15 countries on the continent this weekend to prepare them to deal with the disease. (Photo by Seyllou / AFP) (Photo by SEYLLOU/AFP via Getty Images)
Coronavirus: 113 Nigerian Health Workers Test Positive – Minister

Coronavirus: 113 Nigerian Health Workers Test Positive – Minister

About 113 health workers in Nigeria have, so far, tested positive for COVID-19, the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, has said.

Mr Ehanire last week announced that at least 40 health workers in Nigeria have tested positive to the virus.

He had said apart from the over 40 health workers there are others “who have been quarantined in the last 2 weeks due to exposure and have not been able to contribute to efforts of the health sector.”

On Thursday, Mr Ehanire while responding to questions at the daily Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing said the number of infected health workers has increased to 113, about 6 per cent of the total 1,728 infected persons.

“Latest figures we have is that there are about 113 people in the health sector infected with COVID-19. Although they are not all public health workers, there are good numbers from private hospitals,” he said.

He explained that only health care workers with training in infectious diseases control are eligible to handle COVID-19 patients.

“If you hear us speaking here frequently against trying to treat coronavirus in private clinics, we are actually referring to those people who do so without having necessary precautions and training because they risk infecting themselves and go home and give this infection to their family.

“Healthcare workers who have no training have no business handling coronavirus,” he said.

The federal government had earlier barred private hospitals from treating COVID-19 cases, saying many of the health workers there are not trained to handle such a disease.

At least 17 private hospitals in Lagos have admitted that their staff have been exposed to COVID-19 through patients.

The hospitals were subsequently barred from admitting any patients while their buildings were disinfected.

The federal government has now asked private hospitals willing to treat COVID-19 patients to register with their state’s health ministry and ensure proper training of staff.

As of April 29, a total of 1,728 persons have been confirmed to have COVID-19 in the country. Although 307 persons have been successfully treated and discharged, 51 deaths have been recorded.

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