With Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years coming up, Coronavirus numbers in the United States have the potential to increase dramatically. United States President-elect Joe Biden has signalled that fighting the COVID-19 pandemic will be an immediate priority for his administration.
The President-elect recently announced a coronavirus advisory board of infectious disease researchers and former public health advisers along with an updated strategy that will include increases in testing and contact tracing, as well as transparent communication.
The challenge for President-elect Biden is that Inauguration Day is still almost two months away.
A Washington University in St. Louis COVID-19 forecasting model predicts that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases are likely to increase to 20 million by the end of January, nearly doubling the current level of 11.4 million cases.
The Washington University in St. Louis COVID-19 forecasting model, which accurately forecasted the rate of COVID-19 growth over the summer of 2020, was developed by Olin Business School’s Meng Liu, Raphael Thomadsen and Song Yao.
“One of the key reasons for the increased accuracy of this model over other COVID-19 forecasts is that this model accounts for the fact that people live in interconnected social networks rather than interacting mostly with random groups of strangers,” said Thomadsen, professor of marketing. “This allows the model to forecast that growth will not continue at exponential rates for long periods of time, as classic COVID-19 forecasts predict.”
An interactive online version of the model also allows users to observe the impact different levels of social distancing will have on the spread of COVID-19. The current social distancing reflects an approximate 60% return to normalcy, as compared with the level of social distancing before the pandemic. If we continue, as a nation, at the current level of social distancing, the model forecasts that we are likely to reach 20 million cases before the end of January 2021.

Moncef Slaoui, the chief scientific adviser for Operation Warp Speed, says that some Americans could start receiving a COVID-19 vaccine by the second week of December.
Slaoui's comments follow the announcement on Friday that Pfizer and its partner, BioNTech, have asked the Food and Drug Administration to grant an emergency use authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine — which has been found to be 95% effective. A second vaccine from the biotech company Moderna is expected to be submitted for emergency authorization soon as well.
"Our plan is to be able to ship vaccines to the immunization sites within 24 hours from the approval, so I would expect maybe on day two after approval on the 11th or the 12th of December," Slaoui told CNN on Sunday.
While millions of people in the U.S. could be vaccinated in the weeks and months following an emergency use authorization, Slaoui said it will be well into 2021 before the nation would be able to achieve herd immunity.
"Normally, with the level of efficacy we have, 95%, 70% or so of the population being immunized would allow for true herd immunity to take place," he said. "That is likely to happen somewhere in the month of May, or something like that, based on our plans."
In an interview with NPR last week, Slaoui said there would be enough doses to immunize "about 20 million people by the month of December" and "40 million doses between the two vaccines."
"But then what's important to keep in mind," he said, "is we have four more vaccines in the pipeline — in our portfolio — two of which are in the middle of their phase three trials with already about 10,000 subjects recruited in each one of their trials."
Slaoui's comments on Sunday echo what Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country's top infectious disease expert, told NPR's Morning Edition this past Tuesday. Fauci said that Americans with the "highest priority" — such as health care workers and those most at risk of the virus — will likely receive a vaccine towards the end of December.
Cases of the coronavirus continue to rise at an alarming rate in nearly every state in the U.S. There have been more than 12 million confirmed cases of the virus and more than 255,000 people have died in total across the nation. On Saturday alone, there were an additional 177,552 new confirmed cases and 1,448 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
According to President Trump’s decision, I don’t know if Americans can still wait for the opportunity to be vaccinated. Coronavirus cases in most states in the United States continue to grow at an alarming rate, and it seems that they can only look forward to the vaccine in the middle of despair.

The spread of novel Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) in Nigeria continues to record significant increases as the latest statistics provided by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control reveal Nigeria now has 65,693 confirmed cases.
On the 18th of November 2020, 236 new confirmed cases were recorded in Nigeria, having carried out a total daily test of 3,574 samples across the country.
To date, 65,693 cases have been confirmed, 61,457 cases have been discharged and 1,163 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. A total of 721,516 tests have been carried out as of November 18th, 2020 compared to 717,942  tests a day earlier.
According to the NCDC, the 236 new cases are reported from 14 states- Lagos (142), Ogun (19), Kaduna (15), FCT (14), Imo (14), Rivers (14), Plateau (6), Katsina (3), Ekiti (2), Jigawa (2), Oyo (2), Cross River (1), Kano (1), Taraba (1).
Meanwhile, the latest numbers bring Lagos state total confirmed cases to 22,704, followed by Abuja (6,399), Plateau (3,730), Oyo (3,695), Rivers (2,930), Kaduna (2,793), Edo (2,690), Ogun (2,122), Delta (1,823), Kano (1,769), Ondo (1,722), Enugu (1,332),  Kwara (1,088), Ebonyi (1,055), Katsina (968), Osun (942), Gombe (938). Abia (926), Bauchi (750), and Borno (745).

The victory of this election has been obvious. I think the United States must put people's lives first under the threat of covid-19, and solve the problems encountered at present, namely, vaccines and real-time data of covid-19. Only in this way can we find out the corresponding countermeasures.

Medical experts advising President-elect Joe Biden on the COVID-19 pandemic fear that the federal government’s delay in recognizing Biden’s election victory could be compromising the U.S. response to the virus, the experts said on Tuesday.
Dr. Vivek Murthy, co-chair of Biden’s COVID-19 task force, said the experts had not been able to speak to current administration officials dealing with the virus, even as the United States is hit by a surge in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations.
That could damage the incoming administration’s ability to distribute a vaccine, for example, Murthy said.“We need to talk to those individuals, we need to work together with them,” Murthy said on a call with reporters arranged by Biden’s transition team.
The General Services Administrator has not yet recognized Biden as the “apparent winner” of the Nov. 3 election, which is needed to release government funding for the transition. A spokeswoman said the administrator was following precedent and would make a decision once the winner is clear.
The experts were unable to access real-time data, including on hospital bed capacity and the amount of drugs and equipment in government stockpiles, said Murthy, a former U.S. surgeon general and one of 13 experts Biden last week appointed to advise him on COVID-19 during the transition.
“We can look at the publicly available data, but we don’t have access to the full range of information that the federal government has to prepare for January 20,” Murthy said.

The United States surpassed more than 11 million Covid-19 on Sunday, as the third wave of the virus continued its uncontrolled spread, new restrictions were introduced, and Americans weighed whether and how they can celebrate Thanksgiving.
The U.S. recorded more than 1 million new cases this past week alone, including 156,416 on Saturday, which marked the eleventh day in a row that the United States recorded more than 100,000 daily cases. More than a dozen states, including New Hampshire, Maryland, Colorado, and Montana, all broke daily records of cases on Saturday as well. Georgia was the only state in the country to see a decrease in cases over the past 14 days.
In Washington state, Gov. Jay Inslee announced the closure of indoor dining on Sunday, which will take effect at the end of Monday and last through Dec. 14. He also limited in-store retail to 25 percent occupancy. Indoor fitness facilities and gyms are to fully close. The decision comes shortly after Illinois did the same. In Chicago, a stay-at-home order that will last 30 days begins Monday, with Mayor Lori Lightfoot warning that a huge increase in death could result without one.
In Mount Vernon, New York, next to early Covid-19 hotspot New Rochelle, the city also issued a “stay-at-home advisory” that will begin Monday. citing the virus’ resurgence in New York. In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Sunday that schools would remain open, as the positivity rate creeps towards the 3 percent that would trigger a shutdown.
In Colorado, Gov. Jared Polis brought his state back into Phase 1, as 1,100 people in the state are hospitalized with the coronavirus. The governor is hoping to increase hospital bed capacity by at least 50 percent, and is asking hospitals to continue to planning to convert medical and surgical beds to ICU beds if necessary.

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) announced on Monday that it is going on strike over the inability of the union and the Federal Government to reach an agreement over the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) payment system.
This was disclosed on Monday by Festus Osifo, President of PENGASSAN during an interview on Channels TV.
Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) threatened last week to shut down oil and gas facilities nationwide, citing a breach of agreement by the FG over the implementation of the IPPIS on members.
The unions accused the FG of failure to pay arrears owed to members in the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA).
He accused the FG of negligence during negotiations, citing unpaid arrears to members of the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA), and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), which he said have not been remitted since 2019.
He accused the FG of not taking it committee seriously to look into the matters of unpaid arrears, as government negotiators did not turn up for meetings.
“We agreed with the government that we should set up a technical committee that will look into these issues one after the other, to be sure that our specific earning in the oil and gas industry is taken care of.
At the end of the day, the committee was set up but the government was not committed to it. We fixed a date for a meeting and when our members got there, we waited from morning till night, and nothing was done,” he said.
He added that the association does not mind which tool is used to pay arrears to its members, but urged that any tool used should not short-change its members.

The Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello has disclosed that he has tested positive for coronavirus.
This disclosure was made by the Governor on Monday via his Twitter handle.
“I have tested positive to #COVID19. However, I am asymptomatic and have gone into isolation.”
Governor Sani Bello revealed that the result of his latest test for the infectious disease came back positive today, although he has no clear symptoms of the disease, he had consequently proceeded on self-isolation.
I wish Mr. Governor a speedy recovery. The necessary isolation measures are the best way to cut off the virus infection.

Last week the United States averaged more than 100,000 new daily COVID-19 cases, with more than 128,000 recorded Friday.
U.S. hospitalizations have significantly increased, forcing hospitals in Midwestern and Southern states to take urgent action to accommodate floods of new patients.
Infections are surging in all U.S. regions as the coronavirus death toll continues to climb. The U.S. has 9.8 million coronavirus cases, with more than 237,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University statistics.
Months after the Sturgis motorcycle rally in August in the Black Hills of South Dakota, which drew nearly half a million people, public health officials say the event's legacy is hundreds of coronavirus infections across the U.S.
Dr. Benjamin Aaker, president of the South Dakota State Medical Association, told The New York Times, "We don't know if we'll ever know the full extent" of the infections originating from Sturgis. Last week, South Dakota averaged more than 1,000 daily coronavirus cases.
President-elect Joe Biden is scheduled Monday to announce the members of a 12-member coronavirus task force for his administration, set to begin in January.
Europe, meanwhile, is experiencing a second wave of COVID-19.
"The light at the end of the tunnel is still quite a long way off," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said recently. Germany reported more than 23,000 new cases. Saturday.
On Friday, France had more than 60,000 new cases. France has 1.7 million cases and more than 40,000 COVID deaths, according to Johns Hopkins.
India reported more than 45,000 new infections Sunday. Johns Hopkins said the South Asian nation has recorded 8.5 million cases so far.

The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell slightly last week to 751,000, still a historically high level that shows that many employers keep cutting jobs in the face of the accelerating pandemic.

A surge in viral cases and Congress’ failure so far to provide more aid for struggling individuals and businesses are threatening to deepen Americans’ economic pain. Eight months after the pandemic flattened the economy, weekly jobless claims still point to a stream of layoffs. Before the virus struck in March, the weekly figure had remained below 300,000 for more than five straight years.

Thursday’s report from the Labor Department said the number of people who are continuing to receive traditional unemployment benefits declined to 7.3 million. That figure shows that some of the unemployed are being recalled to their old jobs or are finding new ones. But it also indicates that many jobless Americans have used up their state unemployment aid — which typically expires after six months — and have transitioned to a federal extended benefits program that lasts an additional 13 weeks.

The job market has been under pressure since the virus paralysed the economy and has regained barely half the 22 million jobs that were lost to the pandemic in early spring. The pace of rehiring has steadily weakened — from 4.8 million added jobs in June to 661,000 in September. On Friday, when the government issues the October jobs report, economists foresee a further slowdown — to 580,000 added jobs — according to a survey by the data firm FactSet.

Last week, nearly 363,000 people applied for jobless aid under a new program that extended eligibility for the first time to self-employed and gig workers, up slightly from 359,000 the previous week. That figure isn’t adjusted for seasonal trends, so it’s reported separately.

All told, the Labor Department said 21.5 million people are receiving some form of unemployment benefits, though the figure may be inflated by double-counting by states.

I think our government's control of covid-19 is much better than that of the United States. But we can't let our guard down.

It’s been 250 days since Nigeria reported its first coronavirus case; an Italian traveler. And the numbers of cases are still growing even though infection and death rates have turned out to be much lower than initially feared.
In stark contrast to several predictions suggesting that the pandemic will wreak havoc in Nigeria and much of the African continent, Africa’s most populous country has not been badly hit about 35 weeks into the outbreak, unlike many European and American countries.
Few months into the outbreak in Nigeria, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that nearly a quarter of a billion Africans would have contracted coronavirus by the end of this year, with between 150,000 and 190,000 of them dying.
But as of November 3, the total infection in the continent stood at 1,784,083, less than one per cent of Africa’s one billion population. About 42,000 people have died, not even up to a quarter of the WHO prediction.
Nigeria, despite having reported its first case of COVID-19 about eight months ago and having a population of over 200 million, still has about 15 times fewer cases than Texas, a state in the United States where nearly one million infections have been recorded so far. Texas has a population of 28 million people.
Daily coronavirus cases in Nigeria have been below 300 since mid-August. Last week, a total of 623 new cases were reported, lower than the country’s highest single-day tally of 745 recorded on June 19.
Likewise, deaths have been hovering around 10 and 20 per week over the past month, even as hospitalisations have continuously declined since peaking at over 20,000 in mid-July. On the other hand, recoveries have improved significantly.
On Tuesday, 72 new cases were reported, one of the country’s lowest in eight months, taking the total tally to 63,036. Nearly 60, 000 infected persons have been discharged from hospitals after treatment while a little over 3,000 active cases remain in the country.
But the country’s limited testing capacity and inconsistent contact tracing has been a major concern. There has also been a troubling uptick in mystery cases which health experts believe raise more questions.

The spread of novel Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) in Nigeria continues to record significant increases as the latest statistics provided by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control reveal Nigeria now has 63,173 confirmed cases.

On the 3rd of November 2020, 137 new confirmed cases and 4 deaths were recorded in Nigeria, having carried out a total daily test of 7,810 samples across the country.

The spread of novel Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) in Nigeria continues to record significant increases as the latest statistics provided by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control reveal Nigeria now has 63,173 confirmed cases.

On the 3rd of November 2020, 137 new confirmed cases and 4 deaths were recorded in Nigeria, having carried out a total daily test of 7,810 samples across the country.

To date, 63,173 cases have been confirmed, 59,634 cases have been discharged and 1,151 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. A total of 635,410 tests have been carried out as of November 3rd, 2020 compared to 627,600 tests a day earlier.

COVID-19 Case Updates- 3rd November 2020,
Total Number of Cases – 63.173
Total Number Discharged – 59,646
Total Deaths – 1,151
Total Tests Carried out – 635,410
According to the NCDC, the 137 new cases are reported from 16 states- Lagos (60), Abia (21), FCT (18), Rivers (13), Kaduna (5), Oyo (4), Edo (3), Delta (2), Imo (2), Kano (2), Ogun (2), Bauchi (1), Gombe (1), Nasarawa (1), Niger (1), Osun (1).

Meanwhile, the latest numbers bring Lagos state total confirmed cases to 21,398, followed by Abuja (6,142), Plateau (3,652), Oyo (3,456), Rivers (2,844), Edo (2,669), Kaduna (2,663), Ogun (2,053), Delta (1,816), Kano (1,749), Ondo (1,669), Enugu (1,314), Kwara (1,069), Ebonyi (1,049), Katsina (953), Gombe (938). Osun (930), Abia (898), Borno (745), and Bauchi (713).

Imo State has recorded 619 cases, Benue (493), Nasarawa (482), Bayelsa (413), Ekiti (335), Jigawa (325), Akwa Ibom (295), Anambra (277), Niger (277), Adamawa (257), Sokoto (165), Taraba (146), Kebbi (93), Cross River (87), Yobe (82), Zamfara (79), while Kogi state has recorded 5 cases only.

Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, has warned that a second wave of COVID-19 outbreak is imminent in the country following the recent EndSARS protest, where many protesters threw caution to the wind and violated the COVID-19 protocols.
This is coming as some countries in Europe are experiencing a second wave of COVID-19 infections and considering fresh lockdowns.
Ehanire’s warning came just as Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, threatened, yesterday, to reintroduce COVID-19 restrictions in churches over alleged violation of COVID-19 protocols by worship centres
Apart from the COVID-19 breaches experienced during the EndSARS protest, the minister warned of outbreaks of the second wave of the virus in Europe and the Americas, also fuels the concern that Nigeria is not totally safe. He attributed his prediction to the high volume of human traffic between Nigeria and those countries, adding that the disruption in response caused by the #EndSARS protest, had become a source of worry to the government. 
He further noted that reopening of schools would likely precipitate the second outbreak as had been experienced in parts of the world, warning that Nigeria had no reason for complacency, but every reason to wake up. 
Addressing the 26th Scientific Conference and the Annual General Meeting of the Guild of Medical Directors (GMD), the minister observed that Lagos State suffered the double impact of being the most severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and also the #EndSars protest, putting the resilience of the institutions and systems to the test. 
He said, “Lagos is a major international travel entry point and an extensive, vibrant metropolis. The risks are corresponding. I, therefore, solicit your support now, with propagating known effective public non-pharmaceutical measures, increasing your index of suspicion and caution, and above all cooperating with public health officials to prepare for, and respond to all emerging health challenges. 
The minister announced that a national post-COVID-19 sustainability plan had been developed to guide the nation’s return to normalcy and ensure that all sectors, especially the health sector, were better strengthened and urged medical directors to embrace the many opportunities arising as a byproduct of COVID-19 and to join in the rebuilding and modernisation effort of the nation’s health system. 
He stressed the need for them to explore financial facilities made available to the private health sector by the Central Bank, pointing out that the pharmaceutical industry had started off well in that regard.
EARLIER, President of the GMD, Prof. Femi Dokun-Babalola observed that the COVID-19 pandemic had been challenging for private medical practitioners, saying that it had estimated that about 2,500 health workers were infected with the disease out of a total of 60,000 infections nationwide. 
“This is also likely to be a gross underestimate. Seroprevalence studies carried out in Minna by Majiya et al, a seroprevalence rate of 37.1% was recorded among healthcare workers. This suggests that more than one in three health-workers in Nigeria have been exposed to COVID-19. It underlines the need for continuous vigilance as we carry out our duties as healthcare workers in Nigeria. We have lost some of our members to the COVID-19 crises, including Prof. Lovett Lawson of Zankli Hospital, Abuja, and Dr. Bello Katagum of NIIMA Hospital, Bauchi. This list is not exhaustive. Several of our colleagues in the Nursing and paramedical professions have also paid the ultimate price,” he said.
Dokun-Babalola, who noted that the Guild had to grapple with the “#EndSars’ unrest in the country, appealed to the government to speedily address the yearnings and agitations of the protesters and desist from the use of excessive force in confronting them on the streets. 
He promised that the Guild would remain steadfast in their commitment to curb COVID-19 in Nigeria, especially through improved health security as a backstop to the health system and support towards achieving health-related SDGs.
MEANWHILE, Wike said that if observed breaches of COVID-19 protocols in the state were not immediately corrected, the state government would review restrictions in worship places.
He gave the warning at the Saint Thomas Anglican Church in Mile 2, Diobu, Port Harcourt, during a special thanksgiving service, saying he observed during the service that more than 80 per cent of worshippers did not wear face masks.
He warned that if it continued, the government would be compelled to revisit its position on the number of worshippers allowed per session of such church services.
“85 per cent of those who are here are not wearing face masks. That is the problem we have. Nobody wants to obey simple instructions. The mere fact that we have agreed that we should worship does not mean we should disobey the protocol.
“My Lord Bishop, encourage our people to wear their face masks. It is very important. If this continues, then I will go back and review the restriction to say it cannot be more than a particular number,” he warned.

Nigeria, like other African countries, wasn't spared from the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. To overcome this challenge, countries have been advised to keep testing, treating,and isolating to reduce infections.

Nigeria has been expanding its capacity to test. The country's laboratories can carry out about 18,000 tests per million daily, but this can be improved. The country ought to be doing about 40,000-50,000 tests daily.

Nigeria successfully controlled Ebola and is applying some of the lessons learned. But COVID-19 presents new challenges as scientists are still trying to understand the novel virus.

This novelty highlights the importance of continuous investment in science, research, and development. The African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases, Redeemer's University, Ede, is one of the few research institutions in the country with the ability to carry out whole-genome sequencing. It's therefore one of the few centers working on the frontline of the pandemic. It collaborates with the second main institution, the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control.

Rwanda is an example of a country that has invested in healthcare and provides an environment for innovation. For example, Rwanda's Health Ministry announced the use of smart robots to administer temperature checks, monitor COVID-19 patients' status, and keep medical records.

The robots were created to speed up service and help protect the lives of health workers. Other innovations include drones to raise COVID-19 awareness, spraying kiosks, and step-and-wash handwashing facilities. Rwanda is currently celebrated as a success story, having recorded only 5017 cases and 34 deaths, as of 23 October.

To control this pandemic and prevent a future one, Nigeria needs to start investing heavily in scientific research. Nigeria was one of the 10 African heads of state and government that…

A renowned Professor of virology and former Vice-Chancellor of the Redeemer’s University Nigeria, Oyewale Tomori, says emerging indices show that Nigeria is not winning the war against COVID-19.
In an exclusive interview with PUNCH HealthWise, Tomori said Nigeria was concentrating more on battling the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, without consideration for the other Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.
Tomori said, “We are not winning either war and as we fight the Police SARS, we are forgetting and losing the other.
“The low positives we are getting reflect the low numbers we are testing. Many states have stopped reporting.
“Lagos talked of 181 students testing positive out of 440; there was a report of a university in Kaduna State with positive students, yet no one is talking about these,” he warned.
The virologist expressed concerns that though the continent was fortunate enough to be spared the COVID-19 fatalities currently ravaging Europe, he, nevertheless, warned that Nigeria need not rest for now.
“Yes, we are not seeing the European situation here but let us not deceive ourselves about the drop in the number of positives, it is a reflection of a significant drop in the number of tests performed.
“The epidemiology of the COVID-19 disease in Europe differs from that of Africa. So, we have to use different approaches.
“Have we done some things right? Yes, of course, but we have also not done many things right like inadequate and uncoordinated testing, like poor contact tracing. like non-complying with basic preventive measures,” Tomori noted.
In another interview with our correspondent, Kogi state Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr. Omakoji Simeon Oyiguh revealed that the association has set up a COVID-19 committee which is due to be inaugurated next week.
Oyiguh said the committee would focus on how the State branch of the NMA would deal with controlling both COVID-19 and other emerging diseases.
“This will enable us to have a scientific medical response to how to control emerging diseases such that as the politicians focus on the political aspect, the doctors will play their roles as well.
“With that, we will be able to define what we should do within the hospitals and how we can liaise and synergise with the public and with the government,” he said.
Oyiguh emphasised that when the committee eventually becomes functional, it would give them sufficient data to determine where the state is presently in terms of COVID-19 testing.
Recall that the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu during the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on Monday said the decline in COVID-19 cases is as a result of low testing in states due to curfews, especially Lagos, accounting for over for 60 percent of tests in the country.
Ihekweazu said posting of results on the centre’s social media handles was halted out of respect for those who lost their lives as a result of the incidents of the past days.
He said the nation must be careful about the expected spike in COVID-19 cases on account of the nationwide street protests.
“Forty to 60 percent of our testing cases are reported from Lagos. Our labs in Lagos have not been able to perform as they normally would for the past two to three weeks.
“As we move into the next two weeks, it will not take a rocket scientist to know that we have to watch the numbers very carefully.
“The reasons are obvious; we have gathered in our masses for whatever reason and for now, we have to keep our eyes open for the potential consequences. Those consequences are not inevitable; we can still do our part to prevent them,” he said.
Encouraging Nigerians against despondency, the DG said, “We cannot let down our guards; we cannot afford to add this to the many challenges that we have. Many states have done well by raising their testing capacity. So, we must stay on the ball.”
I think to be precise, not only Nigeria did not win the COVID-19 war, but also many countries. For example, some major countries with the leading number of infections have not eased in this war, and the number of confirmed cases and deaths is increasing. Only when their data is cleared can the COVID-19 war of all of us be won.

The cold chain logistics market of the United States is expected to show a growth of over 2% during the forecast period 2020-2025
The major imports and exports of the United States include nuclear reactors and boilers, pharmaceutical products, chemical products and food products like vegetables, fruits and meat that require the temperature-controlled environment to be transferred safely from one place to another.
The food and beverage industry alone contributes 5% to the country's GDP and the rise in the industry is proposed to drive a steady demand for refrigerated transportation. About 95% of new drugs that are coming in the market are developed and manufactured in the United States that require proper temperature-controlled logistics.
The presence of large beverage companies in the United States, given their immense dependence on the cold storage transportation facilities to deliver goods, is also one of the major factors that are expected to fuel the demand for refrigerated vehicles. The growth in the import and exports of these products is increasing the demand for refrigerated transportation.
Key Market Trends
Growing Organic Food Market
The demand for organic food in the country has been continuously increasing due to rapid urbanization and an increase in the adoption of a healthy dietary lifestyle. Diseases like diabetes, blood pressure, and obesity, and excessive contamination in conventional food are driving organic food sales. Organic fruits and vegetables are one of the largest and fastest-growing segments of the United States food market.
The Organic Trade Industry reported that in 2018, about 14% of all fruit and vegetable sales in the United States were categorized as organic leading to a total of USD 52.50 billion organic food sales in the country, 5.50% of all food sold in retail. The increasing demand and inculcation of these products in the retail stores, storage and transportation from the farmland to the shops and from shops to the customers require huge inputs from the cold chain logistics sector to facilitate its growth.
Increasing Multi-Temperature Trucking
Chilled or perishable food items, pharma products, nuclear reactors etc; all have multiple challenges in transportation, in response to which the cold chain management is increasing its complexity significantly. The refrigerated trucks that can hold goods in multiple segments at different temperatures are developed and are gaining popularity in recent years in the United States. These trucks are particularly used for the retail purpose, where temperature-controlled goods are in relatively small quantities from regional distribution centres.
Acknowledging the increasing vehicle population and global warming, the multi-temperature refrigerated trucks play a major role in the United States logistics market facilitating maximum utility with customisable and regulated temperature.
The spread of the new coronavirus is largely related to the cold chain. The United States predicts that their cold chain logistics market will grow in 2020-2025. I don't think it is so optimistic. After all, the United States is now a major epidemic country. Who dares to import goods from them?

A record increase in coronavirus cases is pushing hospitals in the border cities of El Paso and Ciudad Juarez to the brink, with health officials in Texas and Mexico facing a twin disaster in a metropolitan area tightly knit by 3 million people.
Health officials are blaming family gatherings, multiple generations living in the same home and young people going shopping or doing business.
The crisis – a deadly re-entry by virus across almost the entire US – has created one of the most desperate hotspots in North America and underscored how economically, geographically and culturally connected the two cities are, with many people going back and forth across the border to shop or visit with family.
In El Paso, authorities ordered residents to stay home for two weeks and imposed a curfew at 10pm, and they are setting up dozens of hospital beds in a convention center.
Also, the University of El Paso Medical Center has built heated isolation tents to treat coronavirus patients. As of Tuesday, Director of Public Affairs Ryan Milke said the hospital had 195 COVID-19 patients, down from three dozen a month earlier, and “it continues to rise by the hour per day.”
At Juarez, the Mexican government is sending mobile hospitals, ventilators and doctors, nurses and respiratory specialists. A hospital is being set up inside the gymnasium of the local university to help with the overflow.
Juarez has reported more than 12,000 infections and more than 1,100 deaths, but the actual numbers are believed to be much higher because the COVID-19 test is very limited. El Paso County reported 1,400 new cases Tuesday, up from 1,443 the previous day. In the county, 853 patients were hospitalized for the virus Monday, up from 786 the day before.
The new crown virus makes the situation in the United States more difficult. Although their president feels good about himself and does not think the virus is serious, the people are actually desperate. The new data every day makes people scared and the tests are limited， The actual data may be higher. Much, in this case, one can only ask for more blessings.

Nigeria, like other African countries, wasn’t spared from the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. To overcome this challenge, countries have been advised to keep testing, treating and isolating to reduce infections.

Nigeria has been expanding its capacity to test. The country’s laboratories can carry out about 18,000 tests per million daily, but this can be improved. The country ought to be doing about 40,000-50,000 tests daily.
Nigeria successfully controlled Ebola and is applying some of the lessons learned. But COVID-19 presents new challenges as scientists are still trying to understand the novel virus.
This novelty highlights the importance of continuous investment in science, research and development. The African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases, Redeemer’s University, Ede, is one of the few research institutions in the country with the ability to carry out whole genome sequencing. It’s therefore one of the few centres working on the frontline of the pandemic. It collaborates with the second main institution, the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control.
Rwanda is an example of a country that has invested in healthcare and provides an environment for innovation. For example, Rwanda’s Health Ministry announced the use of smart robots to administer temperature checks, monitor COVID-19 patients’ status and keep medical records.
The robots were created to speed up service and help protect the lives of health workers. Other innovations include drones to raise COVID-19 awareness, spraying kiosks, and step-and-wash handwashing facilities. Rwanda is currently celebrated as a success story, having recorded only 5017 cases and 34 deaths, as of 23 October.
To control this pandemic and prevent a future one, Nigeria needs to start investing heavily in science research. Nigeria was one of the 10 African heads of state and government that endorsed a target to allocate 1% of gross domestic product to research and development in 2002. But progress towards this target has been slow.
COVID-19 has brought new challenges to our science, and this is also an opportunity to promote its development. Although the medical equipment in our African countries is not perfect, we are working hard on research and development, hoping to control the epidemic. Well, developed countries like the United States have abundant scientific and technological resources. If they can't make due contributions to the fight against COVID-19, then it will not be justified.

The United States set a record Sunday for new coronavirus cases averaged over a seven-day period, as cases march steadily upward.
The average new cases per day over a seven-day period was 68,954 on Sunday, according to the Covid Tracking Project, beating the previous record of 66,844 set on July 23.
The country has now passed the July peak, and there is no end in sight as the weather gets colder and more activity moves indoors, where the virus spreads more easily.
The country also set a one-day record Friday with more than 83,000 cases.
The new spike in positive cases, the largest since the pandemic began, comes as President Trump continues to downplay the virus as Election Day nears.
The president blamed the rise in cases on an increase in testing in a tweet Monday. “Cases up because we TEST, TEST, TEST,” Trump wrote. “A Fake News Media Conspiracy. Many young people who heal very fast. 99.9%. Corrupt Media conspiracy at all time high. On November 4th., topic will totally change. VOTE!"
However, hospitalizations are also rising, a sign that the rise in cases is not just because of more testing. There are more than 41,000 people hospitalized with coronavirus, up from around 30,000 at the end of September.
The percentage of tests coming back positive is also rising, another sign of the rising spread of the virus. It is now at about 6 percent nationally and climbing, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff, said Sunday that the administration did not even have the goal of getting the pandemic under control.
“We’re not going to control the pandemic,” he said on CNN. “We are gonna control the fact that we get vaccines, therapeutics and other mitigations.”
There is no vaccine yet available, though progress is being made at a rapid pace, and while there are therapeutics that help to some degree, they are far from a cure for the disease.
Hospitals are in danger of becoming overwhelmed in some areas such as Utah and Wisconsin.
I think that the United States may be the most difficult stage now. The number of infections is reaching new highs every day, but the president still doesn't value it. The government has no goals. As the weather gets colder, the virus is more likely to spread. I really don’t know when the epidemic will end.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has announced 48 new cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country.
The NCDC, on its verified wedsite on Saturday, noted that COVID-19 related mortalities stands at 1,129 as no new death was recorded in the last 24 hours.
The public health agency said that 95 treated persons were also discharged from various isolation centres across the country.
The NCDC disclosed that the new infections were recorded in five states and the Federal Capital Territory, with Lagos having 18, FCT 13, Kaduna six, Rivers and Ogun five each and Ondo one.
It added that 61,930 cases were confirmed with 57,285 cases discharged and 1,129 deaths recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory as at Saturday.
Meanwhile, NCDC warned Nigerians against complacency in containing the spread of the disease as the pandemic has yet to be defeated even with the low recorded cases recently.
“People are no longer seen wearing mask. People now attend gathering with a few too many guests. People are getting tired of wearing masks and are not keeping physical distance or washing hands.
“We can’t get to zero risk of COVID-19, but we can minimize our risk and ensure we’re not jeopardizing our health or the health of others,” it advised.
I finally saw the news that there were no new deaths, but the risks still exist. If we want to reduce the number of confirmed diagnoses to zero, we still need to continue to prevent. After all, the global epidemic is not over yet, and some countries add tens of thousands in a single day. Under such circumstances, how can we be careless?

The spread of novel Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) in Nigeria continues to record increases as the latest statistics provided by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control reveal Nigeria now has 61,667 confirmed cases.
On the 21st of October 2020, 37 new confirmed cases were recorded in Nigeria, having carried out a total daily test of 4,648 samples across the country.
To date, 61,667 cases have been confirmed, 56,880 cases have been discharged and 1,125 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. A total of 595,283 tests have been carried out as of October 21st, 2020 compared to 590,635 tests a day earlier.
COVID-19 Case Updates- 21st October 2020,
Total Number of Cases – 61,667
Total Number Discharged – 56,880
Total Deaths – 1,1125
Total Tests Carried out – 595,283
According to the NCDC, the 37 new cases were reported from 9 states – FCT (, Lagos (7), Taraba (5), Rivers (5), Adamawa (4) Kaduna (3), Anambra (2), Osun (2), Ogun (1).
Meanwhile, the latest numbers bring Lagos state total confirmed cases to 20,733, followed by Abuja (5,943), Plateau (3,587), Oyo (3,421), Rivers (2,742), Edo (2,648), Kaduna (2,572), Ogun (1,987), Delta (1,812), Kano (1,741), Ondo (1,659), Enugu (1,314),  Kwara (1,050), Ebonyi (1,049), Osun (918), Katsina (904), Abia (898), Gombe (883).  Borno (745), and Bauchi (710).
Imo State has recorded 607 cases, Benue (484), Nasarawa (478), Bayelsa (403),  Ekiti (329), Jigawa (325), Akwa Ibom (295), Anambra (277), Niger (274), Adamawa (248), Sokoto (162), Taraba (117), Kebbi (93), Cross River (87), Zamfara and Yobe (79), while Kogi state has recorded 5 cases only.
Judging from the latest statistics, we added 37 new cases yesterday. The situation has not improved, but in comparison, it is not the worst. Look at some countries with tens of thousands of new cases every day, I feel for them. Anxious and sad, Fortunately we haven't fallen into that situation.

When there’s a public health crisis or disaster like the coronavirus pandemic, experts know that the official death tally is going to be an undercount by some extent. Some people who die might never have been tested for the disease, for example, and if people die at home without receiving medical care, they might not make it into the confirmed data.
To address that, researchers often look to what are called excess deaths — the number of deaths overall during a particular period of time compared to how many people die during the stretch in a normal year.
Now, in the most updated count to date, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found that nearly 300,000 more people in the United States died from late January to early October this year compared the average number of people who died in recent years. Just two-thirds of those deaths were counted as Covid-19 fatalities, highlighting how the official U.S. death count — now standing at about 220,000 — is not fully inclusive.
To be exact, the researchers reported that 299,028 more people died from Jan. 26 to Oct. 3 this year than on average during the same stretch from 2015 to 2019. Excess deaths also occurred at higher rates among Latinx, Asian, American Indian, and Black people than among white people, mirroring the disparities in official U.S. Covid-19 death counts.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States has had the largest number of infections. Hundreds of thousands have died so far. It is incredible. Now everyone is panic, but the government seems to be laissez-faire? Under such circumstances, I hope everyone will protect themselves.

With 181 news cases in just a school in Lekki and the general lackadaisical attitude to the COVID-19 protocols, there are genuine fears that Nigeria might be at risk of a second wave if governments fail to enforce adherence to protocols, Shola Oyeyipo writes
On Friday, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, announced that a total of 181 students and staff members of a private school located in a suburb of Lekki, a highbrow part of the state, had tested positive for COVID-19 during surveillance and case investigation in the school. The statement from the state ministry of health also confirmed that there are 441 students and staff in the school.
Abayomi explained that, “A 14-year-old SS1 female student fell ill on the 3rd of October and was sent home after receiving first aid at the school”. He explained further that, “The student subsequently tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday 6th of October in one of the accredited private labs in Lagos”.

This disturbing news is a stark reminder that, perhaps, the Coronavirus pandemic might not have disappeared as many have been erroneously thinking. The mindset of average ‘Lagosian’, and by extension Nigerians, is that the pandemic has been defeated and life could return to normal.
However, there are genuine fears that a second wave of the pandemic might just be around the corner if pro-active measures were not put in place.
Over the last three weeks, the state government has announced total lifting of restrictions with schools now fully open, restaurants can now operate to full capacity, churches and other places of worship have since been opened and ban on public gatherings has been lifted. Markets are now open as well and generally, people have been let loose to socialise and mix with one another.
Be that as it may, COVID-19 protocols are still to be adhered to strictly in public places. These include washing of hands and use of nose masks and face shields. In the same vein, people are supposed to maintain considerable distance from others when in public places.
While these protocols are there, the problem is that many Nigerians do not adhere to these any longer. From social gatherings to markets and even in some public places, many Nigerians do not wear their nose masks or face shields again.
Oladele Morakinyo, an online marketer based in Lagos, told THISDAY that the only places people still observe COVID-19 protocols are in regulated public places like banks, supermarkets and offices.
To him, Nigerians have come to believe that COVID-19 is gone and gone for good. He, however, added that this might not be the case going by the news coming from other parts of the world where there are genuine fears that a second wave of the pandemic might have come upon the world again while Nigerians think the virus had been defeated.
For instance, India recorded thousands of new cases after there was a steady drop in the last two months. Same thing happened in Iran, where Coronavirus deaths have reached nearly the 30,000 mark, which has now forced the government to start considering imposing new restrictions.
In Germany, Europe’s biggest economy and which was generally hailed by the prompt and effective way it dealt with the pandemic, when it was at its peak, has also been recording new cases. The same thing is applicable to the United Kingdom, which though the new cases have not been alarming, has made moves to forestall the possibility of a new surge that might put its health systems under another massive pressure.
Several news cases reported recently remind us that we must still pay attention to this pandemic. Judging from the situation in other countries, such as the United States, India, Iran, etc., they all indicate that the virus has once again swept the world. Their prevention and control are not Timely, we have to learn lessons and develop stricter systems。We cannot let our country have a second wave of risks.

LAGOS (Reuters) - A total of 181 students and staff at a private boarding school in the Nigerian capital Lagos have tested positive for coronavirus, state health authorities said on Friday.
Authorities said there had been a "minor but significant" outbreak among the 441 staff and students at the school in the suburb of Lekki and said most of the now-quarantined positive cases were asymptomatic.
Lagos state Commissioner for Health Akin Abayomi said in a statement posted on Twitter that the cases came to light after a 14-year-old girl fell sick on Oct. 3. She tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 6, prompting state health authorities to launch an investigation.
"Positive students and staff have been isolated on the premises ... and are being monitored in isolation within the school premises," Abayomi said.
He said authorities had taken steps to contain the spread of the virus, and were discouraging any students from going home, lest they infect family members.
Nigeria has confirmed a total 60,982 cases of COVID-19 and 1,116 deaths linked to the disease.
The government announced early this month that federal government schools could reopen from Oct. 12, while schools run by states and private owners could open on their own timetables, following a steady decline in the rate of infections in Nigeria.
The epidemic broke out in schools. This is something we don't want to see. We must isolate and prevent further spread. Although the number of confirmed cases in some countries exceeds 8 million and schools are still not closed, as we all know, this is firmly undesirable.

The Chief Executive Officer of MEGACORP, Trader Okoh Benjamin has stated that Nigeria's hospital equipment need is still underserved especially in rural and sub-urban areas of the country.
Speaking to THISDAY recently, he said his organisation has identified this huge gap and has decided to fill in the gap as part of measures to ensure Nigerian health professionals and organisations get the right equipment to carry out their work and trainings.
He said: "MEGACORP has been meeting the medical equipment and consumable needs of health practitioners and patients in rural and suburban areas of Edo State primarily, and recently in the satellite towns of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
"We have sent our goods to practically every geopolitical zone of Nigeria, and very recently we equipped a new laboratory in Cameroon. The hospital equipment market nationwide is still very much under-served, so we're contributing our quota in both equipment and public health awareness.
"Although the COVID-19 pandemic has affected many firms providing this services to the health sector, we have ensured we do not slow down because there is no better time than now to provide more accessibility to health professionals and organisations in need of consumables and other medical products."
Describing MEGACORP as one of Nigeria's fast growing medical equipment firm with a large footing in Edo State, he said unlike most organisations during the COVID-19 lockdown, his firm did not reduce staff strength, neither did it cut staff salaries having realised there was no better time to fill in equipment gap in the sector.
The demand for our hospital equipment is increasing and cannot be met, especially as the epidemic continues to break out. It is impossible to expect to seek reinforcements from other countries. Perhaps some major countries are already unable to protect themselves. We can only work hard to find a way to survive. Overcome difficulties.

In order to save lives, reduce the impact of the recession, and revive growth and job creation, the International Monetary Fund, IMF has listed some recovery measures to be taken by emerging countries which include Nigeria and other low income economies to include  reprioritizing spending and enhancing its efficiency for recovery. The Fund disclosed this on Wednesday in its fiscal monitor policies for the recovery report stressing that there were countries often low-income developing countries, many in sub-Saharan Africa with no access to international financial markets. “These countries were facing binding constraints on their ability to put public finances and state capacity at the service of growth and development” The IMF added.

Commenting on the post-pandemic reset, the report states: “Looking ahead, countries will need to make it a priority to invest in health care systems and education. They should also strengthen social safety nets to ensure that all people have access to food and other basic goods and services. As economies begin to recover, governments should seize this moment to move away from the pre-crisis growth model and accelerate the transition to a low-carbon and digital economy.

“As economies begin to recover, governments should seize this moment to move away from the pre-crisis growth model and accelerate the transition to a low-carbon and digital economy.  Carbon pricing should be a key feature of this transition, because it encourages people to reduce energy use and shift to cleaner alternatives—and, moreover, it generates revenue that can be used in part to support the most vulnerable.” Vitor Gaspar, Director of the Fiscal Affairs Department of the IMF said: “As economies tentatively reopen, but uncertainty about the course of the pandemic remains, governments should ensure that fiscal support is not withdrawn too rapidly. However, it should become more selective and avoid standing in the way of necessary sectoral reallocations as activity resumes. Support should shift gradually from protecting old jobs to getting people back to work for example, by reducing job retention programs (wage subsidies), reintroducing job search requirements, and training new skills and helping viable but still-vulnerable firms safely reopen. With low interest rates and high unemployment, boosting public investment—starting with maintenance and ramping up projects—can create jobs and spur economic growth.”
Although the epidemic has not yet been completely controlled, and even many large countries have continued to increase instead of decreasing, the number of new cases in a single day has reached tens of thousands, but the economic losses caused by the epidemic are really too much for us , even if other governments do not prevent To control the epidemic, we must also start to talk about economic recovery while taking good measures.

Nigeria recorded anther increase in Coronavirus cases on Tuesday, with Lagos taking a massive lead.
In the last three days, the nation has recorded resurgence of Coronavirus infections, with figures taking an upward movement.
From 164 cases on Monday, the nation’s infections jumped to 225 cases, with Lagos posting 165 new cases.
Lagos has been raking in increasing cases in the last three days, with today’s infections higher.
From 23 cases on Saturday, Lagos’ infections jumped to 113 on Sunday and nosedived to 64 on Monday and skyrocketed to 165 on Tuesday.
With the #EndSARS protest taking place in Lagos for the past six days, social distancing and wearing of face masks were dumped into the dustbin.
This may have contributed to resurgence in more cases.
With the 225 new cases raked in on Tuesday, Nigeria now has 60,655 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 52,006 survivors discharged and 1,116 deaths recorded.
The increase in the rate of infection in Lagos is largely related to the protests that took place a few days ago. If you want to avoid the virus, there must be no intensive contact with people. Of course, you must wear a mask. We can't follow the example of countries that advocate freedom, election demonstrations proceed as usual, and even the president does not wear a mask.

After contracting the coronavirus in March, Michael Reagan lost all memory of his 12-day vacation in Paris, even though the trip was just a few weeks earlier.
Several weeks after Erica Taylor recovered from her Covid-19 symptoms of nausea and cough, she became confused and forgetful, failing to even recognize her own car, the only Toyota Prius in her apartment complex’s parking lot.
Lisa Mizelle, a veteran nurse practitioner at an urgent care clinic who fell ill with the virus in July, finds herself forgetting routine treatments and lab tests, and has to ask colleagues about terminology she used to know automatically.
“I leave the room and I can’t remember what the patient just said,” she said, adding that if she hadn’t exhausted her medical leave she’d take more time off.
“It scares me to think I’m working,” Ms. Mizelle, 53, said. “I feel like I have dementia.”
It’s becoming known as Covid brain fog: troubling cognitive symptoms that can include memory loss, confusion, difficulty focusing, dizziness and grasping for everyday words. Increasingly, Covid survivors say brain fog is impairing their ability to work and function normally.
“There are thousands of people who have that,” said Dr. Igor Koralnik, chief of neuro-infectious disease at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, who has already seen hundreds of survivors at a post-Covid clinic he leads. “The impact on the work force that’s affected is going to be significant.
Scientists aren’t sure what causes brain fog, which varies widely and affects even people who became only mildly physically ill from Covid-19 and had no previous medical conditions. Leading theories are that it arises when the body’s immune response to the virus doesn’t shut down or from inflammation in blood vessels leading to the brain.
For the survivors, serious sequelae will be a nightmare they cannot avoid. Well, think about the more than two hundred thousand dead people, maybe you can be a little more lucky and courage to live.