Healthcare

All You Need to Know About Coronavirus

Published

5 years ago

February 1, 2020

Eric

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a global health emergency over a new coronavirus that has killed at least 213 people in China following an outbreak in the central city of Wuhan, forcing a government lockdown in almost 20 cities that, in effect, has quarantined an estimated 56 million people.

More than 9,000 cases have been reported worldwide, most of them in China and especially in Wuhan and nearby cities in Hubei Province

The infection is now more widespread than the 2002-2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak, which also originated in China, in terms of affected people but not deaths.

Here is what you need to know:

What is coronavirus?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as SARS and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).

These viruses were originally transmitted between animals and people. SARS, for instance, was believed to have been transmitted from civet cats to humans while MERS travelled from a type of camel to humans.

Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans.

The name coronavirus comes from the Latin word corona, meaning crown or halo. Under an electron microscope, the image of the virus is reminiscent of a solar corona.

A novel coronavirus, identified by Chinese authorities on January 7 and named 2019-nCoV, is a new strain that had not been previously identified in humans.

Little is known about it, although human-to-human transmission has been confirmed.

What are the symptoms?

According to the WHO, signs of infection include fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.

In more severe cases, it can lead to pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.

The incubation period of the coronavirus remains unknown. Some sources say it could be between 10 and 14 days.

How deadly is it?

Some experts say it may not be as deadly as other types of coronavirus such as SARS, which killed nearly 800 people worldwide, more than 300 in China alone – during a 2002-03 outbreak that also originated in China.

MERS, which did not spread as widely, was more deadly, killing one-third of those it infected.

In China, however, the infection is more widespread than SARS in terms of case numbers.

Where have cases been reported?

Most cases have been reported in China.

All deaths have been in China – the vast majority in Hubei Province.

The virus has spread to many Asian countries, as well as Australia, Europe, North America and the Middle East. Nearly all of the dozens of cases outside China are among people who recently travelled there.

What is being done to stop it from spreading?

There is no vaccine yet for the new virus.

Chinese authorities have effectively sealed off Wuhan, state media said.

The move was meant to “resolutely contain the momentum of the epidemic spreading” and protect lives, the central city’s special command centre against the virus said, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

More than a dozen other Chinese cities also adopted transport restrictions, affecting 56 million people.

Several airlines, including United Airlines and British Airways, have cancelled flights to China.

Airports around the world have introduced screening measures and some countries are working to evacuate their citizens from Wuhan.

Where did the virus originate?

Chinese health authorities are still trying to determine the origin of the virus, which they say came from a seafood market in Wuhan where wildlife was also traded illegally.

The WHO also says an animal source appears most likely to be the primary source of the outbreak.

Snakes – including the Chinese krait and the cobra – may be the source of the newly discovered virus, according to Chinese scientists.

Is this a global emergency?

The outbreak constitutes a global health emergency, the WHO has said.

The decision to sound the top-level alarm was made after the first confirmed cases of transmission between people outside China.

The international health alert is a call on countries around the world to coordinate their response under the guidance of the United Nations health agency.

There have been five global health emergencies since 2005 when the declaration was formalised: swine flu in 2009; polio in 2014; Ebola in 2014; Zika in 2016 and Ebola again in 2019.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

Healthcare

Jonathan Highlights IBB’s Importance to Nigeria As Former Military President Launches Memoir

Published

3 months ago

February 20, 2025

Eric

A former President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has lauded the country’s one time amilitary President, General Ibrahim Babangida (retd) for his generous contributions to the growth of the nation, saying Nigeria’s history is incomplete without the his story.

Jonathan said this in Abuja on Thursday during the launch of a book by the ex-dictator, titled, ‘A Journey in Service”.

Jonathan noted at the event which also doubles as the launch of Babangida’s presidential library, “So, Ibrahim Bagandiga as we all know, is one of the most charismatic leaders in this country. He is somebody that, up to date, people go as if they are going on a pilgrimage to consult him. We thank God for giving him that grace and the wisdom to continue to mentor people.

“In terms of leadership, Nigerians know you have contributed significantly in terms of the infrastructure development of this country and social mobilisation. We cannot write the history of Nigeria without dedicating a reasonable part to your service as the President of Nigeria.

“You’ve done well!”

“So, if you contribute to the documentation of the history, it makes your history stronger, more relevant,” he continued.

“So, today, you’re helping us,” the former Bayelsa governor told the gathering which included past and present leaders.

Jonathan thanked the former president for launching the presidential library.

He called on other leaders, especially ex-presidents to key into building a presidential library.

According to him, this will aid in better documentation of Nigeria’s history.

Jonathan, who is also a former governor of Bayelsa State, asked the Federal Government to help in the management of these libraries as it is done in several parts of the world.

“They are a source of history. If any scholar wants to know what happens at a segment of history, he goes to the presidential library,” he said.

General Babangida was at the helm of affairs between 1987 and 1993 when he stepped aside as a result of the heat that generated following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 Presidential Election.

Healthcare

NAFDAC Reiterates Ban on Sales, Consumption of Sachet Alcoholic Drinks

Published

11 months ago

June 20, 2024

Eric

Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Moji Adeyeye, has reaffirmed that the ban on the sale and consumption of sachet alcoholic beverages in the country is still in force.

Adeyeye announced this on Wednesday during a press briefing in Lagos.

She said: “The ban on sachet alcohol is a ministerial directive and the ban still remains until the ministers respond. The meeting last week Thursday is a continuation of the discussion.

“The outcome of the meeting is that the ministers should write a memo to the Speaker (of Reps) and the House (of Reps), and the Representative of the Speaker, Prof Jake Dan-Azumi then said we should continue the discussion after the recess of the House members in July. So, the discussion continues.”

The Deputy Spokesman for the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, disclosed last Friday that the House and NAFDAC resolved to lift the ban on the sale and consumption of sachet alcoholic beverages.

Agbese said the resolution to temporarily lift the ban was reached after a meeting between the House Committee and NAFDAC officials.

He said the lifting of the ban would end when the economy fully recovers from its current strain.

On February 1, 2024, NAFDAC commenced the enforcement of the ban on the importation, manufacture, distribution, sale and use of alcoholic beverages in sachets, PET, and glass bottles of 200ml and below.

The NAFDAC DG said the decision was based on the recommendation of a high-powered committee of the Federal Ministry of Health, NAFDAC, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, and the industry represented by the Association of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employers, Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria, in December 2018.

However, the move to enforce the ban has generated repeated protests by distillers and labour unions, who said the ban would cost 500,000 workers their jobs, and ruin N800bn investments.

Meanwhile, medical experts warned that lifting the ban on alcoholic beverages will lead to acute health complications, increased road traffic accidents, increased risk of abuse of alcohol, liver problems, heart-related problems, and cancers, among others.

Healthcare

Adeleke Wins Osun Guber Election

Published

3 years ago

July 17, 2022

Eric

The Independent National Electoral Commission has declared the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Ademola Adeleke, the winner of the Osun governorship election.

The Returning Officer for the election and Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, announced that Adeleke got a total of 403,371 votes beating the incumbent, Adegboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress, who got 375,027 votes in a keenly contested race.

He said, “I declare Adeleke Ademola Jackson Nurudeen, on behalf of the chairman of INEC, of the PDP, having satisfied the requirement of the law, is hereby declared the winner and he is returned elected.”

According to the total votes recorded by the electoral umpire, the PDP won 17 of the 30 Local Government Areas of the state, while the APC won the remaining 13.

The PDP won in Ede North, Ede South, Ifelodun, Boluwaduro, Egbedore, Odo Otin, Osogbo, Ila, Atakumosa West, Olorunda, Ilesa West, Obokun, Oriade, Orolu, Ife North, Irepodun, and Ejigbo LGAs.

The APC, on the other hand, won in Boripe, Ilesa East, Ayedire, Ifedayo, Ife Central, Ayedaade, Iwo, Olaoluwa, Isokan, Atakumosa East, Irewole, Ife South, and Ife East LGAs.

The PUNCH reported that Adeleke and his nephew, award-winning Nigerian singer, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, were seen in a video that surfaced online, celebrating an early lead when the counting started.