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Nigeria may experience a second wave of Covid-19 pandemic, Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, has said.
He disclosed this at the ongoing media briefing with reporters organised by the National Youth Service Corps on Monday.
The DG said the country must abide by the protocols and guidelines developed to avoid a second wave of the virus.
He warned that the virus was still around and more dangerous despite the drop in recorded cases.
The present director general of NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye stated that only 30% of medicines are produced in Nigeria while the remaining 70% are imported. Apparently, the statistic of drugs produced in the country is outrageously low. In my own view, I would say that this has been one of the major setbacks for pharmacists in the country and a reason why a youth like me will rather opt to study medicine.
Pharmacists, Virologists, Botanists, Biochemists, Chemists, Microbiologists and other related disciplines are needed around the world during a crucial period (pandemic) like this. However , in Nigeria, you see a Biochemist working in the bank as a cashier or in an organization as a personal assistant. Disciplines such as these do not just exist for people to be educated…more than that, it is because they have a purpose to proffer solutions which will make this space, “the earth” , a safe habitat for humans.
Who isn’t relevant? Which discipline isn’t relevant? Now we can see the lapses and downside of not maximizing the potentials of these professionals in Nigeria. Madagascar produced an herbal concoction to fight coronavirus with the support of its government. A similar kind of herbal concoction that Nigerian herbal practitioners produce in their homes to save cost. This calls for attention, how long do we wait before the government begin to explore the talents and brains displayed by its people?
Even a regulatory body like NAFDAC will take forever to approve a medicine or processed food. I must admit that at the moment, setting up a food processing company isn’t an option for me…perhaps, in future. At the moment, I will rather farm and sell the proceeds. Why do I say this? It feels like everything in Nigeria is politicised and being an employee isn’t as difficult as being an entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur you try to set things up but what about the policies? Are there policies which will make entrepreneurs to thrive in their businesses and not create major setbacks?
The director general also stated that capital punishment will be the penalty for people who produce fake drugs. Of course over the years, the agency “NAFDAC” battled with this, even up till now. What about producing items without an approved NAFDAC number? That’s also an offence according to the rules laid down by NAFDAC but what do we see? We see so many entrepreneurs setting up businesses and not getting their commodities approved by NAFDAC when it is required. However desperation and survival reasons are given by entrepreneurs who take this risk.
If it is quite affordable to get a NAFDAC approval in the monetary aspect aside other requirements , I can bet that more people will venture into production. This will in turn drastically reduce the rate at which drugs are imported into the country. If the government doesn’t embrace and support local production, who will? Now the government spends millions to purchase surgical face masks and personal protective equipment for our health practitioners. What exactly do we produce in this country aside ankara fabric?
A notable company Johnson & Johnson has paused its Covid vaccine trial to investigate why one participant in the study fell ill.
The company said an independent review would check if the person’s unexplained symptoms were related to the jab.
Therefore as a precaution, recruitment to the phase three trial has been suspended.
It said in large trials, with tens of thousands of volunteers, it was to be expected that some may become unwell during the study period.
The company said that for privacy reasons, it could not give more details about the ill participant.
According to the company, “More is being learnt about this participant’s illness, and it’s important to have all the facts before additional information is shared.”
It is not the first Covid vaccine trial to be suspended – a participant in the UK’s Oxford University study had an unexplained illness too, but it has since been deemed safe to resume, except for in the US where regulators are still in discussions with manufacturer Astra Zeneca.
There are nearly 180 vaccine candidates being tested around the world, but none has yet completed clinical trials.
The Johnson & Johnson jab, like the Oxford University Astra Zeneca one, is in the advanced stage of testing.
Both use a modified common cold virus to prime the immune system against Covid.
The Johnson & Johnson trial had started recruiting participants in late September, with a goal of enrolling up to 60,000 volunteers across more than 200 sites in the US as well as in South America and South Africa.
North Korea held a rare night time military parade on Saturday, attended by leader Kim Jong-un.
The parade marked the 75th anniversary of the Worker’s Party.
North Korea typically uses its parades to show off new missiles and weaponry. Experts say intercontinental ballistic missiles were evident during Saturday morning’s event.
It is the country’s first parade in two years and comes just weeks ahead of the US presidential election.
North Korea had not featured ballistic missiles in its parades since President Donald Trump and Mr Kim held their first summit in 2018.
According to South Korea’s military, the parade was held before dawn on Saturday. It is not yet known why the event was held so early.
No foreign media or foreigners were allowed at the event, so analysts are relying on edited state-media footage which is being released to assess the parade.
Images showed Mr Kim wearing a grey western-style suit, receiving flowers from children.
In a speech, he said the country would continue to “strengthen” its military for “self-defence and deterrence”.
He also said he was grateful that no North Koreans have contracted Covid-19.
“I wish good health to all the people around the world who are fighting the ills of this evil virus,” he said.
Despite claiming the country has no cases of coronavirus, Mr Kim continues to hold high-level meetings to ensure tight restrictions remain in place.
Analysts have said it is highly unlikely that North Korea has not experienced any coronavirus cases at all.
There was no sign of anyone wearing masks during the parade. However there were far fewer people involved in the event than usual, AFP news agency reports.
North Korea closed its borders to the outside world in January to prevent an outbreak of Covid-19 spreading from neighbouring China.
Authorities have reportedly issued “shoot-to-kill” orders along the border and created a buffer zone to stop anyone entering the country.
Last month Mr Kim apologised for the fatal shooting of a South Korean. South Korea said the 47-year-old man was found by troops while floating in the North’s waters. He was then shot dead and his body was set alight, according to Seoul.
For weeks, satellite imagery has shown thousands of people practicing for Saturday’s parade.
Foreign officials in Pyongyang had been told to avoid travelling through the city, going near the event venue and taking photos of the event.
Due to the covid19 pandemic the trial of Ramon Abbas popularly known as Hushpuppi has been suspended.
According to the Chamber orders of Judge Otis Wright released on September 23, the jury trial will continue by 9:00 a.m. on May 4, 2021.
Hushpuppi had pleaded not guilty to the four-count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering conspiracies, international money laundering and engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity.
In June, the 37-year-old Mr Abbas, also known as Hushpuppi, who is known for flaunting his opulent lifestyle on social media, was arrested in Dubai by some special operatives including the Emerati police officers and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) operatives.
If convicted, the Instagram big boy might spend the next 20 years in the U.S federal prison.
MORE WORLD LEADERS THAT HAVE CONTRACTED COVID19. Naijapremiumgist brings to you popular and influential leaders around the world that have contracted COVID19. Some of them have been declared healthy and fit to continue ruling recently. The countries include:
Iranian leaders
Iran, the epicentre of the Mideast’s initial coronavirus outbreak, has seen several top officials test positive. Among them are Senior Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri and Vice-President Massoumeh Ebtekar. Cabinet members have tested positive, too.
Indian leaders
Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu, 71, recently tested positive but his office said he had no symptoms and was quarantined at home. Home Minister Amit Shah, the No. 2 man in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, was hospitalized for COVID-19 last month and has recovered. Junior Railways Minister Suresh Angadi last week was the first federal minister to die from COVID-19.
Israeli leaders
Israel’s then-Health Minister Yaakov Litzman tested positive in April and recovered. Litzman is a leader in Israel’s ultra-Orthodox community, which has seen a high rate of infection as many have defied restrictions on religious gatherings. The minister for Jerusalem affairs, Rafi Peretz, tested positive over the summer as cases surged in the country and recovered.
South African leaders
The country’s Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi were infected as cases surged in June and July.
South Sudanese leaders
From South Sudan, Vice-President Riek Machar was among several cabinet ministers infected.
Canadian politicians from federal party leaders down to the municipal level have also been personally affected by COVID-19. Here are a few who have either tested positive or needed to isolate themselves after possible exposure.
Erin O’Toole
The federal Conservative leader and his wife tested positive for the virus last month, not long after O’Toole won the leadership of the party. It’s believed he contracted the virus from a staffer who was in his immediate circle. He emerged from quarantine to deliver his official reply to the Liberals’ throne speech. “We all have to be very cautious,” he said upon his return.
Yves-François Blanchet
The Bloc Québécois leader and his wife also tested positive for the virus last month. He returned to Parliament the same day as O’Toole, saying he was lucky to have caught a mild case of the illness. “Some people go through it much more painfully than I did,” he said. “I was very, very, very lucky. Some people die of that thing.”
Justin Trudeau
The prime minister’s wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, tested positive for COVID-19 on March 12 after a trip to the United Kingdom. The prime minister subsequently went into a 14-day isolation at home with his three kids, just as the pandemic lockdown was beginning in Canada. Trudeau remained in isolation for almost a month, not returning to Parliament Hill until April 8. He never developed symptoms and never got tested for COVID-19, but says he will take an antibody test when they are widely available.
Bill Morneau
The former federal finance minister was one of at least eight MPs who were tested for COVID-19 and self-isolated after meeting with United Nations World Food Program executive director David Beasley in Ottawa on March 11 and March 12. Beasley met privately with Morneau, attended a reception and appeared at a House of Commons committee. Beasley tested positive for COVID-19 about a week later.
Kamal Khera
The Brampton-West Liberal MP tested positive for COVID-19 on March 25. She was one of the MPs who met with Beasley, although her office said it was not clear where she contracted the virus.
Seamus O’Regan
The federal minister of natural resources was tested and self-isolated in early March after developing a bad cold. He had gone to a mining conference in Toronto attended by more than 23,000 people from around the world. At least three people at the conference tested positive for COVID-19, but O’Regan was not among them.
Sylvie Parent
The mayor of Longueuil, Que., on Montreal’s south shore, tested positive for COVID-19 last month. Her positive test led to the isolation and testing of at least seven other Quebec politicians, including three provincial cabinet minister
Another employee at the White House has tested positive for coronavirus as the number of confirmed infections among Trump’s inner circle continues to rise.
This time, it is Trump’s personal assistant, Nick Luna, that tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday.
Luna, whose official title is the Director of Oval Office Operations, travels frequently with the president.
He attended the first presidential debate in Cleveland on Tuesday as well as other more recent events.
ANY UPDATE ON PRESIDENT TRUMP’S STATUS?
We have the following to learn from Trump’s medical team, Dr Conley’s update especially.
Trump is being treated with dexamethasone, a steroid that’s given to patients with severe or critical Covid-19, in order to help their lung function
Despite this, Dr Sean Conley says the team was planning for Trump to potentially be discharged from Walter Reed Medical Center as early as Monday, to continue his course of treatment at the White House
The president has had two dips in his oxygen saturation level since Thursday – one episode where it fell below 94% and another where it was below 93%
Dr Conley recommended the president be given supplemental oxygen. Although Trump was adamant that he didn’t need it ,he was given oxygen
On Friday Trump was up and out of bed, but it was decided that he should go to Walter Reed
Asked why he didn’t reveal Trump had received oxygen earlier, Dr Conley said: “I was trying to reflect the upbeat attitude of the team… The fact of the matter is, he’s doing reall ry well.”
Naijapremiumgist wishes president Trump speedy recovery.
Juan Orlando Hernandez
The Honduras president announced in June that he had tested positive, along with two other people who worked closely with him. Hernandez said he had started what he called the “MAIZ treatment,” an experimental and unproven combination of microdacyn, azithromycin, ivermectin and zinc. He was briefly hospitalized and released.
More to come…
The federal government has ordered the reopening of all schools in Nigeria.
The minister of education, Adamu Adamu, made the announcement during a press briefing in Abuja this Friday.
He advised all institutions to obey and adhere to the guidelines for the reopening of schools, earlier announced by the presidential task force.
He said;
“all unity schools across Nigeria should open by October 12 , while states and private schools will determine their own modalities of reopening.”
Many states including Lagos, Oyo, Kano and Enugu, have since announced dates for the reopening of schools in their states.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the coronavirus, the president tweeted.
“Tonight, (at)FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!”
Trump announced late Thursday that he and first lady Melania Trump were beginning a “quarantine process” after Hicks came down with the virus, though it wasn’t clear what that entailed. It can take days for an infection to be detectable by a test. This marks a major blow for a president who has been trying desperately to convince the American public that the worst of the pandemic is behind them even as cases continue to rise with less than four months before Election Day. However, it stands as the most serious known public health scare encountered by any sitting American president in recent history.
Hicks traveled with the president multiple times this week, including aboard Marine One, the presidential helicopter, and on Air Force One to a rally in Minnesota Wednesday, and aboard Air Force One to Tuesday night’s first presidential debate in Cleveland.Trump had consistently played down concerns about being personally vulnerable to contracting COVID-19, even after White House staff and allies were exposed and sickened.
Trump, the vice president and other senior staff have been tested for COVID-19 daily since two people who work at the White House complex tested positive in early May, prompting the White House to step up precautions. Everyone who comes into contact with the president also receives a quick-result test.
The news was sure to rattle an already shaken nation still grappling with how to safely reopen while avoiding further spikes. The White House has access to near-unlimited resources, including a constant supply of quick-result tests, and still failed to keep the president safe, raising questions about how the rest of the country will be able to protect its workers, students and the public as businesses and schools reopen.Yet since the early days of the pandemic, experts have questioned the health and safety protocols at the White House and asked why more wasn’t being done to protect the commander in chief. Trump continued to shake hands with visitors long after public health officials were warning against it and he initially resisted being tested. He has been reluctant to practice his own administration’s social distancing guidelines for fear of looking weak, including refusing under almost all circumstances to wear a mask in public.
Trump is not the only major world leader known to have contracted the virus. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spent a week in the hospital, including three nights in intensive care, where he was given oxygen and watched around the clock by medical workers. German Chancellor Angela Merkel self-isolated after a doctor who gave her a vaccination tested positive for the virus, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau worked from home after his wife fell ill.
The White House got its first COVID-19 scare in early March when at least three people who later tested positive came in close proximity to the president at his private Florida club. That included members of the Brazilian president’s delegation, including the Brazilian charge d’affaires, who sat at Trump’s dinner table.In mid-March, as the virus continued to spread across the country, the White House began taking the temperature of everyone entering the White House complex, and in April, it began administering rapid COVID-19 tests to all those in close proximity to the president, with staffers being tested about once a week.
It is not out of place to ask “how did Zoom conquer video conferencing”?Zoom grew so quickly in 2020 that its brand became the default term for video conferencing. “Let’s use Zoom,” has become as as, “ Google it.” What in the world is responsible for that explosive growth in the face of competition from (other) brands like Cisco, Microsoft and Google?
COULD IT BE COVID19 PANDEMIC?
The Covid-19 crisis caused an enormous surge in demand for video communications with so many people unable to meet in person, but that alone doesn’t explain Zoom’s ascendance. They were growing rapidly long before Covid-19 shut down offices, events, and travel. Zoom had already surpassed its larger competitors in the years preceding the pandemic:
According to the 2020 Businesses @ Work report from Okta “Zoom was the #1 fastest growing video conferencing app in 2016, and it hasn’t slowed down since. Over the past three years, Zoom has enjoyed an astounding 876% growth in number of customers in our network. For comparison, second-place Cisco Webex grew 91% over that same period.”
As with Amazon, the pandemic crisis simply accelerated Zoom’s already robust growth.
Zoom’s mission statement us simple and straight forward “Make video communications frictionless.” At a time when most corporate mission statements try to acknowledge every priority and every stakeholder, this short, direct message stands out.
It is obvious that this statement provides clarity to every team member. If you are a developer, network expert, or any other Zoom employee, you know that any action you take should never increase customer effort or increase complexity. If you do, you’ll be contradicting Zoom’s reason for existence. In short, the simpler, the easier, the better.
Zoom was founded by Eric Yuan, who left Cisco’s Webex unit to focus on mobile-friendly video conferencing. Webex was the dominant video conference player before Zoom passed them.
The Cisco’s mission statement on their website which is “Shape the future of the Internet by creating unprecedented value and opportunity for our customers, employees, investors, and ecosystem partners.” This statement is so broad and jargon-laden that it provides no clear direction for team members. How could a developer or designer possibly know if a new feature or a interface design will “create unprecedented value and opportunity?” Will fixing something that customers complained about really “shape the future?” The mission statement, if I am permitted to say, is itself high friction.
Zoom grew more rapidly than its much larger competitors because it made things easy for its users. Easy to set up, easy to use, easy to change one’s background… maximum simplicity, minimum effort. But, in striving to make onboarding a user as simple as possible, Zoom skipped some security precautions.
One of these lapses made Mac computer webcams vulnerable to hackers. Another security hole allowed “zoombombing,” in which a hacker could enter and disrupt an ongoing video conference.
Not unlike fellow unicorn Uber, Zoom initially focused on exponential growth, not perfection. After its software was universally adopted, Zoom changed its code to beef up security.
Although security issues could have derailed the firm, Zoom’s growth continued without interruption.
Taking on giants like Cisco, Microsoft, and Google might have seemed like a fool’s errand in Zoom’s early days. But, Yuan let one principle drive the firm’s efforts: make video conferencing as easy as possible for everyone. Minimize user effort. Eliminate complexity.
A test that can diagnose Covid-19 in minutes will dramatically expand the capacity to detect cases in low- and middle-income countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.
The $5 (£3.80) test could transform tracking of Covid-19 in less wealthy countries, which have shortages of healthcare workers and laboratories. A deal with manufacturers will provide 120 million tests over six months.
The WHO’s head called it a major milestone.
Lengthy gaps between taking a test and receiving a result have hampered many countries’ attempts to control the spread of coronavirus.
In some countries with high infection rates, including India and Mexico, experts have said that low testing rates are disguising the true spread of their outbreaks.
The “new, highly portable and easy-to-use test” will provide results in 15-30 minutes instead of hours or days, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference on Monday.
Drugs manufacturers Abbott and SD Biosensor have agreed with the charitable Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to produce 120 million of the tests, Dr Tedros explained.
The deal covers 133 countries, including many in Latin America which is currently the region hardest-hit by the pandemic in terms of fatality and infection rates.
“This is a vital addition to their testing capacity and especially important in areas of high transmission,” Dr Tedros added.
“This will enable the expansion of testing, particularly in hard-to-reach areas that do not have laboratory facilities or enough trained health workers to carry out tests,” he said.
