"Ideally, the cost for tests in travel portals should not cost more than $50 but some West African countries are charging as much as $90."
The COVID-19 pandemic took the world by surprise, revealing a global failure to invest in pandemic preparedness. Scientists, looked upon to find a cure, had little time and a low margin for error.
And because the disease is novel and spreads fast, an infodemic - misconception, mistrusts, and scepticisms - sprung, putting pressure on fact-checkers and journalists to deliver accurate, balanced, and timely reports while countering false information.


Two issues remained contentious for more than a year after the pandemic broke: a growing debate on the efficacy of the treatment regimens for the disease and the safety concerns about COVID-19 vaccines.
For instance, the use of Ivermectin - a medication used to treat many types of parasite infestations - for treating COVID-19 has been a hot topic in the health community with many national health associations like the National Institutes of Health in the U.S. choosing to remain neutral, leaving the decision to physicians and their patients.
In Nigeria, the growing concerns about the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccines are escalating an already flourishing scepticism and misconception.
Last week, Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ) in partnership with the International Society of Media in Public Health (ISMPH) held a webinar to address some of the contentious issues surrounding vaccine safety and treatment of the disease.