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CrimeRe: Endsars: Lagos Judicial Panel Denied Entry Into Military Mortuary(photo) by cheango: 2:58pm On Oct 30, 2020
So much to hide
Ugolistikp:
what is there ....?
Is there anything to hide?
Then why denying them access to the premise..
so many questions to be answered ...
PoliticsRe: Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq Meets Owners Of Businesses Affected In Friday's Looting by cheango: 4:48am On Oct 28, 2020
ILORIN PEOPLE WITH HYPOCRITE, THEY DONT JOKE WITH PRAYING IN MOSQUE ALL TIME ,AND SO MANY MOSQUES EVERYWHERE
THEY DONT HAVE HOTEL IN THEIR MIST BUT NA. THEM DEY PATRONISE HOTEL PASS FOR SHINAH IN AREAS THAT HAS HOTEL
NOW ON FRIDAY AFTER JUMAT, NUMEROUS OF THEM LOOTED

FELLOW NIGERIANS, BOTH CHRISTIAN AND MUSLIM, MOST OF YOU CLAIM TO SERVE GOD, BUT DO YOU KNOW GOD OR HAVE THE FEAR OF GOD ?
PoliticsRe: One Week Remembrance Of Lekki Massacre/shooting by cheango: 9:21pm On Oct 27, 2020
Let's see
PoliticsRe: One Week Remembrance Of Lekki Massacre/shooting by cheango: 8:11pm On Oct 27, 2020
Keep looking for names.. Even the two people sanwo olu admitted that died, do you know their names?
Franzinni:
Can you write out their names ...

I think its better to have their names instead of lumping them together under one name .
CrimeRe: When Bail Is Actually Free, I Will Believe The Police Has Been Reformed by cheango: 8:42am On Oct 13, 2020
money121:
Pls let me share dis on twitter
permission granted sir
CrimeRe: History: SARS Was Founded In 1992, By Simeon Danladi, Read More by cheango: 1:04pm On Oct 10, 2020
Why can't you check Wikipedia yourself and some other facts around, before exhibiting crass ignorance and childishness
wisest10:
..bros I can also publish 2008 on Google.. sars cannot be founded on 1992...and the reason for the formation you wrote is odd..coz I remember that soldiers also burnt down Oriole police station as at 2006/2007 in lagos
CrimeRe: Gunmen Kill Pastor Kayode Ogunleye In Ekiti, Dump Body In Forest by cheango: 6:59pm On Oct 04, 2020
Most Nigerians die before their time...
PoliticsRe: CAN Tables 10-point Demand, Says Lopsided Appointments Generating Tension by cheango: 6:53am On Sep 30, 2020
AS NIGERIA GROW OLDER, DISUNITY GROWS. WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, RELIGION TOLERANCE ARE MUCH BETTER, BUT NOW IT IS GETTING OUT OF HAND. SOME PEOPLE THINK THEY OWN THESE COUNTRY
WE DONT HAVE COMPETENT PDOPLE AGAIN IN THE HELM OF AFFAIR, BECAUSE OF NEPOTISM ..
SOLUTION IS JUST BREAKING OF NIGERIA, BECAUSE IT CAN NEVER WORK
PoliticsRe: US Imposed Visa Restrictions On Nigerians Undermining Electoral Processes by cheango: 5:11am On Sep 15, 2020
YAYA BELLO, GANDUJE AND CO, hope we won't find them on the list
BusinessRe: KAM Steel Acquires Standard Methallugical Company, Targets 10,000 Jobs by cheango: 4:43am On Sep 02, 2020
Congratulations KAM HOLDING, God is wonderful, the chairman Alhaji Kamoru, don't have formal education , he started from a shop in Ilorin, now he is a billionaire..who is the largest private employer of labour in kwara state..Now he acquired 60billion company in ogun state. Nothing God cannot do to anyone, don't ever give up
HealthRe: COVID-19 In Nigeria: Inside A Lagos Coronavirus Ward (Video) by cheango: 5:43am On Jul 09, 2020
I FEAR ANY BASTERD WHO THINK CORONA IS NOT REAL
Christianity EtcPastor Chris Oyakhilome May Need Medical Attention; Christ Embassy Beware by cheango(op): 10:02am On Jun 28, 2020
Pastor Chris oyakhilome ,no doubt is one of the most respected and revered man of God in Nigeria, but of recent his reaction and actions toward current happenings keep us in doubt about his mental health..
He is the one saying lockdown is because of 5g,
he is the one saying wearing of mask and keeping social distance is nonsense, and is not science, even with his PhD, and with his science background
He is the one saying virus don't fly in air and can't be transmitted
He is the one saying pastors should be laying hands on coronavirus patients even when he hasn't tried to do so
And today, I heard that he said black live protest is not about racism but about implanting of micro chip
If ordinary man says things like this, we will all think he is unstable mentally, but a man of God is saying it and we are not concern on his mental Health

Pls his church should not give any thing to chance, He is a pastor shouldn't mean he won't have health challenges.. May God save us all
HealthRe: 675 New COVID-19 Cases, 230 Discharged And 7 Deaths On June 22 - (1809 Tested) by cheango: 11:52pm On Jun 22, 2020
THIS IS UNDER REPORTED, NO WAY THE PEOPLE GETTING IT WONT BE THOUSANDS DAILY, BUT WE HAVE LOW TESTING.... BUT WE THANK GOD MOST NIGERIANS ARE ASYMPTOMATIC
HealthKwara Cancel Fumigation, 65years & Thermometer As Mosque/church Criteria by cheango(op): 9:32am On Jun 18, 2020
Kwara State govt coronavirus Task force, after meeting with Muslim religious leaders setup by the EMIR of Ilorin, has decided to cancel the use of fumigation, limit of people of over 65years, and use of thermometer as criteria for mosque and church opening. This is coming after almost 2 weeks of mosque and churches reopening

Coronavirus virus is increasing yet we are all bending the rules and precautions, that suite us..

But in all honesty, for a pandemic, should religious leaders or traditional leaders be controlling our govt, when coronavirus is about science ...its scientists or medical personnel our govt should be listening to

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3569282539766867&id=376152472413239ttps://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3569282539766867&id=376152472413239
PoliticsRe: What If MKO Abiola Had Become President? by cheango: 1:28pm On Jun 12, 2020
No Nigeria can be a good president, let's borrow people from Ghana to rule us
HealthRe: 389 New COVID-19 Cases, 130 Discharged And 9 Deaths On June 6 (1,442 Tested) by cheango: 11:59pm On Jun 06, 2020
This too shall pass, but don't be fool that all is a business by govt... Govt people or Ncdc don't have time to be manipulating figures everyday... And lets prepare this cases won't go this year... Mr REFERENCE, hope you won't be tired for daily update till 202l ...may God save us a
BusinessRe: CBN Covid 19 Support Loan , And The Current Challenges (photo) by cheango: 10:24pm On Jun 05, 2020
It happened to me too
HealthRe: 387 New COVID-19 Cases, 105 Discharged And 2 Deaths On May 29 - (2099 Tested) by cheango: 7:34pm On May 30, 2020
Am not a slave, I just use the brain I have, that you also have but don't use.. Hope you know the family of the people who has covid l9 has confirmed it too
kolade560:
you are a slave to ncdc and their gimmicks....they want to force cases on kogi so DAT it can be increasing from there and eating govt money but Yahaya no gree u dey yarn dust for nairaland
HealthRe: 387 New COVID-19 Cases, 105 Discharged And 2 Deaths On May 29 - (2099 Tested) by cheango: 7:31pm On May 30, 2020
You don't suppose to believe people who think like you... Pls grow
Kaybaba5:
Honestly it seems u didn't here the full story
The commissioner for information said they didn't refer any patient to Abuja. The ncdc smuggle the patient from kogi to Abuja whereas when the kogi govt went to the hospital where the patient was admitted in kogi state
They were told that the patient ran out of the facility. Something is not right about this ncdc. Of a thing.
A
HealthRe: 387 New COVID-19 Cases, 105 Discharged And 2 Deaths On May 29 - (2099 Tested) by cheango: 7:27pm On May 30, 2020
I don't dignify a fool like you, but you are so lucky today, congratulations
9isguy:
How many people have been tested positive from your household??
HealthRe: 387 New COVID-19 Cases, 105 Discharged And 2 Deaths On May 29 - (2099 Tested) by cheango: 7:23pm On May 30, 2020
Yaya bello mentee , what will u say now since the family of the chief Imam of kabba who is positive has confirmed it too
boookworm:
NCDC advocate weldone. Once again, the point u would never like to hear is, Covid 19 can never be hidden, and if the people of kogi were suffering from it, do you think they wouldn't have called for help from the FG? Kogi has a PDP chapter there, why haven't they called on the FG or report suspicious cases to discredit the governor and lastly, why are you crying more than the bereaved? Did kogi people beg you for help? When did you become their spokesperson.

I can only deduce one thing, you're on NCDC payroll.

Anyways man must wack. I understand
HealthRe: 387 New COVID-19 Cases, 105 Discharged And 2 Deaths On May 29 - (2099 Tested) by cheango: 7:19pm On May 30, 2020
Don't be foolish, can your own brain put down what I wrote, and you are as useless like yaya bello your role model , because the family of the chief Imam of kabba who is positive has confirmed it too
RapistOnBail:
Start using your brains
HealthRe: Imam Ejibunu Tests Positive For COVID-19 In Kogi - Family Says. Melaye Reacts by cheango: 7:00pm On May 30, 2020
WE SAID IT BEFORE
HealthRe: 387 New COVID-19 Cases, 105 Discharged And 2 Deaths On May 29 - (2099 Tested) by cheango: 12:36am On May 30, 2020
He and we all have many thing we can lose with his carelessness.. This is a science,
leave it for science, isn't this NCDC tackling Lassa fever and Ebola? Why now are they now fraud, he just want to shine, so people like you will praise him
Slynation:
As long as Yahaya Bello is concerned... Kogi state is covid-19 free grin but don't you think there is something he knows about NCDC gimmicks?? He stand nothing to loss if he's deliberately disrupting NCDC from carrying out testing in Kogi State but a lot to gain from the Sinzu money, although he already embezzled #7Billion canopy isolation center that common ordinary breeze sweep away... grin
HealthRe: 387 New Cases Of COVID19 Reported On 29th May 2020 by cheango: 12:24am On May 30, 2020
kingriqoriqo:
double of yesterday’s cases...abeg i wan ask shey na dis lagos wey i dy or another lagos dis cases are coming from?
YOU PEOPLE ARE MUCH,, DONT WORRY IT WONT REACH YOU
HealthRe: 387 New COVID-19 Cases, 105 Discharged And 2 Deaths On May 29 - (2099 Tested) by cheango: 12:20am On May 30, 2020
Lol, he is just bearing the name of Governor, he didn't behave reasonably, Kogi has it too, but he choose not to allow to testing, if not for the referral, will they record any case? But me don't expect more from a rigger
senatordave1:
Go and tell kogi state.
HealthRe: 387 New Cases Of COVID19 Reported On 29th May 2020 by cheango: 12:14am On May 30, 2020
KOGI WITH JOKE
IMAGINE THE STATE SAID THE TWO POSITIVE CASES BY NCDC WAS PEOPLE ATTACKED BY BEE
AND THEY ARE REFERRED TO ABUJA FROM FMC LOKOJA
AT THE END NCDC COMFIRMED IT WAS COVID I9 AT ABUJA, INDICATION THAT MANY PEOPLE HAS IT IN KOGI, BUT STATE GOVT DONT ALLOW TESTING

I WONDER HOW PEOPLE ATTACKED BY BEE WILL BE TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO ABUJA FOR EMERGENCY,
THE MOST USELESS STATE GOVERNMENT I HAVE EVER SEEN IS KOGI, BUT CAN WE EXPECT LESS FROM A GOVERNOR WHO RIGGED TO POWER?

THEY ARE THE ONE THAT CREATED ANDROID APP FOR TESTING ,WHAT DEVELOP COUNTRIES DONT DO.
THEY ARE THE ONE THAT SENT ONLY ONE SAMPLE TO NCDC EVEN WHEN DOCTORS SAW MANY PEOPLE WITH SYMPTOMS
THEY ARE THE ONE BUYING TESTING KIT THEMSELVES

WE SHOULDNT DECEIVE OURSELVES IRRESPONSIBILITY OF ANY STATE CAN AFFECT ANYBODY IN THIS COUNTRY, BECAUSE WHEN THE VIRUS IS SUCCESSFULLY CONTAINED, KOGI CAN STILL SPREAD IT BACK. DONT LET US FORGET, COVID I9 STATED FROM A PERSON, IN A TOWN, THEN TO THE STATE, THEN TO A REGION, THEN TO COUNTRY, THEN ALL OVER THE WORLD. ITS A WAR WE MUST COLLECTIVELY FIGHT ONCE AND FOR ALL.

AND FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO ALWAYS SAY DO WE SEE PEOPLE DYING IN KOGI, PLEASE LAGOS THAT HAS OVER 4000 CASES DO YOU SEE PEOPLE DYING ON THE STREET?
LET US BE RESPONSIBLE, MAY GOD HELP AND PROTECT US
HealthRe: 387 New COVID-19 Cases, 105 Discharged And 2 Deaths On May 29 - (2099 Tested) by cheango: 12:12am On May 30, 2020
We shouldn't deceive ourselves, Nigeria can't have less than 30,000 cases, but we thank God most people having it are Asymptomatic, and are getting healed on their own, because we r used to malaria too.. Nigeria is only doing test with people with symptoms and people with contact tracing, so with just 2000 test daily from over 200 million people, don't you think Nigeria is still under reporting the issue, But the best thing is for government to open the economy fully so we get used to this varius, because it won't go soon
senatordave1:
Most people don't care about corona anymore.I know corona is in Nigeria but it is not up to 1000 cases.anything above is audio
HealthRe: 387 New COVID-19 Cases, 105 Discharged And 2 Deaths On May 29 - (2099 Tested) by cheango: 11:58pm On May 29, 2020
KOGI WITH A JOKE
IMAGINE THE STATE SAID THE TWO POSITIVE CASES BY NCDC WAS PEOPLE ATTACKED BY BEE
AND THEY ARE REFERRED TO ABUJA FROM FMC LOKOJA
AT THE END NCDC COMFIRMED IT WAS COVID I9 AT ABUJA, INDICATION THAT MANY PEOPLE HAS IT IN KOGI, BUT STATE GOVT DONT ALLOW TESTING

I WONDER HOW PEOPLE ATTACKED BY BEE WILL BE TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO ABUJA FOR EMERGENCY,
THE MOST USELESS STATE GOVERNMENT I HAVE EVER SEEN IS KOGI, BUT CAN WE EXPECT LESS FROM A GOVERNOR WHO RIGGED TO POWER?

THEY ARE THE ONE THAT CREATED ANDROID APP FOR TESTING ,WHAT DEVELOP COUNTRIES DONT DO.
THEY ARE THE ONE THAT SENT ONLY ONE SAMPLE TO NCDC EVEN WHEN DOCTORS SAW MANY PEOPLE WITH SYMPTOMS
THEY ARE THE ONE BUYING TESTING KIT THEMSELVES

WE SHOULDNT DECEIVE OURSELVES IRRESPONSIBILITY OF ANY STATE CAN AFFECT ANYBODY IN THIS COUNTRY, BECAUSE WHEN THE VIRUS IS SUCCESSFULLY CONTAINED, KOGI CAN STILL SPREAD IT BACK. DONT LET US FORGET, COVID I9 STATED FROM A PERSON, IN A TOWN, THEN TO THE STATE, THEN TO A REGION, THEN TO COUNTRY, THEN ALL OVER THE WORLD. ITS A WAR WE MUST COLLECTIVELY FIGHT ONCE AND FOR ALL.

AND FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO ALWAYS SAY DO WE SEE PEOPLE DYING IN KOGI, PLEASE LAGOS THAT HAS OVER 4000 CASES DO YOU SEE PEOPLE DYING ON THE STREET?
LET US BE RESPONSIBLE, MAY GOD HELP AND PROTECT US
HealthHow Kogi Is Turning A Blind Eye To Patients With COVID-19 Symptoms- Cable News by cheango(op): 8:18am On May 29, 2020
INSIDE STORY: How Kogi is turning a blind eye to patients with COVID-19 symptoms
May 28
10:11
2020
�by Chinedu Asadu
 0 Comments
Advertisement


It was scorching hot on Saturday afternoon in Lokoja, Kogi, when Godwin (not real name) visited one of the hospitals in the state capital to report that he was having coronavirus symptoms. According to a doctor who saw him, Godwin’s head was aching and his body was hot like it was being microwaved; his coughs, dry and continuous; his heart in pains while his oxygen saturation point was 80 percent, far below the minimum 95 percent when a patient needs supplemental oxygen.

“He has the complications (similar to COVID-19) already,” a doctor at the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, said, and when asked to re-confirm if the patient truly had chest pains and other symptoms, he responded: “He has all of it. So, that one, you know that the probability that it is corona (common reference to the coronavirus among Nigerians) is very high.”


Patients are reporting they have symptoms of coronavirus at FMC, but they are not being tested

On Wednesday night, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) finally announced two positive cases of COVID-19 in Kogi state after weeks of drama, but the state government quickly issued a statement rejecting the results and maintaining that the state is still free of the coronavirus.

In reality, many patients report to FMC and Kogi Specialist Hospital after having symptoms similar to those of COVID-19, but none of them gets tested, causing panic among doctors and residents.



“We are not testing so you can’t say,” said the doctor at FMC who, like most others who spoke to TheCable, asked not to be mentioned for fear of being punished by the state authorities. The state government is believed to have warned health professionals and other workers against giving out any information.


Is Yahaya Bello hiding something?

At FMC and the Kogi Specialist Hospital, many doctors and other hospital staff declined to speak on the issue when approached by TheCable.

“We don’t want any trouble,” a staff member said while those who agreed to talk did so anonymously.

NO TEST, NO CASE — SO, NO WORRIES

In addition to water basins for handwashing around FMC, a large banner on COVID-19 is displayed at the entrance to enlighten visitors

While Kogi claimed 111 residents were tested for the virus in one day, the May 18 situation report of the NCDC showed only one person in Kogi has been tested for the virus and the result was negative.

Prior to Wednesday, Kogi had no record of coronavirus because of lack of test. But the state recorded its first two cases on Wednesday. Sadly, many residents have described COVID-19 as a hoax. Very little or nothing in Kogi shows Nigeria is currently battling a pandemic or that the federal capital territory which it shares a boundary with, has so far recorded not less than 500 cases, thereby exposing residents to the risk of infection.



Through the days TheCable reporter spent in the state, many on the roads were without face masks, movement flowed freely through the streets, businesses boomed, social distancing was ignored while entry and exit to and fro Abuja was without hitches despite the ban on inter-state travel.

Asked why he was not wearing a face mask, a motorcyclist said: “All na scam, corona no dey anything. No be wetin Yahaya Bello talk? You know hear say he chase them (NCDC) comot for Kogi?”

HEALTH WORKERS APPREHENSIVE

People not observing social distancing at FMC

For the health workers in the state, the situation is akin to fighting an unknown enemy. They cannot say if patients reporting that they have symptoms related to coronavirus are carriers of the disease to determine how to manage them and worse, they don’t know how exposed they are to such patients in case they are truly infected.

Doctors at the Specialist Hospital and FMC told TheCable that although there is no unusual number of patients reporting that they have symptoms at the hospital, they are in a dilemma as to how to manage such patients.



Kabir Zubari, chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in the state, said his colleagues are apprehensive, and worried about their safety having been left in the dark.

“They (the state) believe that until a patient has all the features, maybe history of travel or contact with infected patients, you cannot be tested. That is basically the reason (for lack of testing),” he said, but added that “when you are waiting for all the features, you may not get it.”

“There is a lot of politics going on. Everybody is apprehensive as we speak, because you may not know what you are dealing with. We have heard in other states about doctors unknowingly treating some patients and getting infected.”

Samuel Obajemu, chairman of the Kogi chapter of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), expressed similar concerns, saying the process of testing is “taking time”.

“You can see activities here and there; people live their life carefree and in the end, we in the health sector are at the receiving end,” he told TheCable.

“The state has procured antigen-based testing kits and we hope they set it up soon but it is taking time for this to be done. Let us just have that belief there is no COVID-19 because if there was, maybe it would have killed so many people as seen in Kano.”

Obajemu also said there have been “many cases of patients reporting similar symptoms(of COVID-19) and this has caused a lot of panic in the past. If you are treating pneumonia or malaria and it is COVID, you are causing more harm to the person’s body system.”

SUSPECTED CASE ABSCONDS FROM HOSPITAL

At the Kogi Specialist Hospital, a number of structures and assets are out of shape

A senior doctor at FMC told TheCable of a patient who reported symptoms of coronavirus and later ran away because of stigma; two other patients with severe symptoms have also died at the hospital recently.

“Because we are not having these tests, you cannot for sure say this is a case (of coronavirus). That is where the dilemma comes for us,” said the doctor who did not want to be named.



“If somebody comes and says they are having fever, cough and the person is restless and having difficulty in breathing, as far as we are in this COVID era, you must have a high index of suspicion because you don’t know who that person has come in contact with.

“Some (patients who reported symptoms related to those of the virus) were treated and got better and were discharged. They are treated based on the symptoms they are presenting. We have an instance where somebody absconded; where the person went, nobody knows.

“There are some instances where people died, maybe two; they came into the hospital and after a short while, they died. But if it is a normal setting and there is no COVID, it is not unusual that somebody comes to the hospital with severe symptoms and after a while, the person dies.”

TheCable visited three cemeteries at Lokongoma, New Layout and Adankolo and found out that there were no recent or unusual burials.






TheCable visited three cemeteries in the state, and none had recent burial

ISOLATION CENTRE ABANDONED
From interaction with residents and health workers, it is widely believed that “lack of adequate preparation” for such health crisis as the pandemic could be responsible for the state’s failure to test. For instance, the government had listed a block at FAREC Clinic, Lokoja, as an isolation centre designated for COVID-19 patients but findings showed the place serves as such only on paper. Apart from gradually being overtaken by grass, there is nothing at the centre that shows it is fit for use for any purpose, much less for patients.


FAREC Clinic in Lokoja, which the state claims is an isolation centre overtaken by grass

On two occasions when TheCable reporter visited the centre, no one was seen within the premises which was under lock. The place was infested with dusts and cobwebs, suggesting that it has not been opened in a long time. Perhaps, the only sign that indicates the block is an isolation centre is an iron road that crossed some pillars by the entrance which read: “COVID-19 Isolation Centre, out of bound for non-staff”.

TheCable gathered that it was not until Friday that the government inaugurated the Kogi Diagnostic Centre, also within Lokoja, to be used as an isolation centre. The reporter could not gain entrance into the building as the gate was locked and a van of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) was seen on the premises.


The newly inaugurated isolation centre

THE PROBLEM WITH KOGI’S COVID-19 MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
Adequate efforts are in place to prevent an outbreak of coronavirus in Kogi. For instance, apart from a website where the state listed some information about the virus, no notice or advertisement promoting guidelines against it were seen on the streets of Kogi.

At virtually all public places including the government house, residents did not comply with safety protocols listed by health authorities. At the FMC which is one of the very few places you are not permitted to enter without a face mask, that measure only applies at the entrance gate as a lot of persons seen within the hospital premises were either not wearing one at all or covering only their jaw.



To assess how prepared the facility was in attending to persons showing some symptoms related to coronavirus, TheCable reporter posed as a patient with intense cough, fatigue and chest pain who was seeking to see a doctor, and as a result spent some hours at the facility.

Surprisingly, despite the frequent coughs, there was no extra caution from both the health workers that attended to the reporter, from the stage of getting a hospital card through to the point of meeting a doctor who had only a cloth face mask as an extra caution.


Hospital card and other documents given to the reporter

On the state’s COVID-19 response website, an application is listed — but only for android users. A self assessment is also available on the platform to help individuals determine their health status, but how many residents have access to such service? Two weeks after the state said it has tested 111 persons for coronavirus, the number of those tested remains the same on the platform, suggesting that no patient has been tested again since then.

FINALLY, THE GOVERNMENT PROCURES KITS
Few days doctors in the state raised the alarm about lack of testing, the government invited them to a meeting where they informed that the state had procured some antigen-based test kits which it intends to deploy for testing.

An antigen test, according to Albert Shaw, MD, a professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine, is used to “detect the presence of a protein—the nucleocapsid protein—which is part of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that is the cause of COVID-19.”

This means that unlike the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests that detect the genetic material from the virus which can help diagnose an active COVID-19 infection, antigen tests look for those fragments of antigens within a person’s body to see if they’re infected with the virus.

In addition to quick results—they can provide outcomes within 15 minutes, antigen tests are also cheaper and easier to use, compared to other tests available.

But various bodies including the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and NCDC have often urged caution in its use because they are not as accurate as tests done in molecular laboratories certified for COVID-19 testing.

Like it does with Abuja, Kogi shares a boundary with Edo, and both states have NCDC-coordinated molecular laboratories where COVID-19 tests are run. Why the government prefers antigen-based testing to sending samples to the laboratories is not clear, but some persons in the state suspect “politics.”

“We can’t tell why but the politics is real,” a medical doctor at FMC told TheCable. “The politics between the state and NCDC is evident but that is really not our business.”



DOCTORS: SAVING LIVES OR THEMSELVES?
In January 2018, Idowu Ahmad, a medical doctor, was infected with Lassa fever while treating a patient with the disease at the FMC. According to reports, he was treating the patient without being properly kitted to protect himself. Barely 48 hours after his diagnosis, Ahmad, who was only a year into the medical profession, lost his battle to the disease.


For doctors, it is a tough call fighting an unknown enemy

More than two years down the line, that experience is still fresh in the minds of his colleagues. With the current situation of the health sector in Kogi, they are torn between ensuring they are well protected and abiding by the the Physician’s oath which binds every Nigerian doctor to “consecrate my life to the service of humanity” with “the health of my patient (as) my first consideration.”

A doctor, who knew Ahmad, said while their hazard allowance is yet to be increased almost three months after the federal government reportedly promised to do so, the experience of the late doctor had taught them a lesson “to make sure we are protected while we are discharging our work.”

“He (Idowu) was a breadwinner, so you know the ripple effect. No matter what you do for those families, the fact that they don’t have a breadwinner is a problem. And you discover most doctors, by virtue of their position and the kind of family they come from, are major breadwinners in their family. So, what happens to the children, what happens to the parents at home and others?” the doctor asked.

“The fact that we are doctors doesn’t mean that we should… it is like asking someone to go to a battlefront with nothing. We don’t want to do that. At least in warfare, you know who your enemy is, then you plan on how to tackle it.”

But how do you protect yourself when you don’t even know what you are dealing with: whether they are regular symptoms or indeed a case of the coronavirus?

“We have advised doctors to make sure you use your PPEs and attend to patients. Once you can’t beat the authorities, you have to look for a way out,” Zubari, who heads the NMA in the state, told TheCable.

“What we have done is to look for an easy way out. The state has bought rapid diagnostic test kits. It will make it easier instead of sending samples. With that, we can manage. It is still better than nothing. We have to make do with what is available.”

‘KOGI IS FINE’

An empty room in one of the isolation centres

The state commissioner for health was not reachable. Several calls were put through to him and text messages were also but no response. Austin Ojotule, the state epidemiologist, declined comments when contacted on Tuesday morning.

However, Kingsley Fanwo, the commissioner for information, told TheCable via text that “Kogi is fine”, and that “our enlightenment is the best in the country.”

“It is not true that we abandoned any of our isolation centres. They are all in good shape to deal with any eventuality. I can go with you to FAREC (Clinic) to prove you wrong.” he said, but kept mum when sent the pictures taken at the clinic and Yahaya Memorial Hospital where the state claims to have isolation centres.

He also said the newly commissioned isolation centre is “top notch”, adding: “We have been able to enlighten our people to take personal responsibilities and that is what is working for us. We have carried out scores of tests and all have been negative.”


One of the pictures sent by the information commissioner but TheCable could not independently verify if these equipment were at the isolation centre

Asked to give the number of tests for coronavirus the state has conducted, Fanwo said, “I have no specific number on my fingers right now. But I know many have been tested,” even though the state COVID-19 response website as at Wednesday still says 111 samples have been tested.

On the risk in preferring rapid test kits found to have been faulty to NCDC-monitored molecular laboratories, the commissioner said: “All of us are learning on the go. No test kit is completely error proof, even they ones they are using.”

This is a special investigative project by Cable Newspaper Journalism Foundation (CNJF) in partnership with TheCable, supported by the MacArthur Foundation. Published materials are not views of the MacArthur Foundation.

https://www.thecable.ng/inside-story-how-kogi-is-turning-a-blind-eye-to-patients-with-covid-19-symptoms
HealthRe: 182 New COVID-19 Cases, 91 Discharged And 5 Deaths On May 28 - (1038 Tested) by cheango: 8:07am On May 29, 2020
I can boldly tell you, our govt is still not able to do much test, you would have seen more results, just 2000 test per day and all of you are shouting, we should thank God must Nigeria patient are Asymptomatic, on Kogi state, will right thinking people believe the governor or his cronies... Read this report yourself. https://www.thecable.ng/inside-story-how-kogi-is-turning-a-blind-eye-to-patients-with-covid-19-symptoms
Heavensent01:
what's the level of your education?


anyway question to your childish answer lies in the first and second sentences of your naive post. Americans carried their citizens along somewhat that we that aren't base their see the patients and unfortunate dead people



the only thing we are seeing here are few people who claimed to recovered that are testifying to Covid-19


if that virus is that huge in Nigeria as they want to force us to believe, what's the need to spend enough on media in convincing? pictures or short videos of the isolated scenes will convince people and influence their precaution


take Kogi state for example, a state that commissioner for health didn't get any record of Covid-19 cases and NCDC reported two index cases for them which the Governor denounced


there are people someone who have become multi millionaires in Nigeria since this scam found its way to Nigeria
HealthRe: Kogi State Disagrees With NCDC, Says Kogi Is COVID-19 Free by cheango: 7:52am On May 29, 2020
People don't know this is a national war and fight, you think other states can contain the virus so federal government leave Kogi alone, maybe you don't know if the virus is contained in other part, Kogi can cause danger to other part when the country is fully open, unless govt can lock down Kogi alone, so it won't affect other part

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