By Kayode Ojewale
THE National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, in its renewed efforts at combating and addressing the coronavirus pandemic, has put in place some regulatory measures to ensure quality, safety and efficacy of diagnostic test kits to aid the detection of the virus in patients.
According to a press release by NAFDAC, which was necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, measures to ensure access to health commodities that have the potential to impact positively on public health outcomes have been put in place. One of such measures is the diagnostics necessary to support public health infrastructures and guide the management of the disease and to fight its outbreak.
The press statement reads: “The antibody test kits (IgG/IgM) can be used in the COVID-19 confirmed individuals, who can then be tested at designated centres using the antibody kits, to confirm that they have antibodies and as such may not be infected again. The antigen tests kits on the other hand, can detect the COVID-19 antigen in patients with or without symptoms. The results are only qualitative (positive or negative).”
The NAFDAC director-general signed press statement further revealed that no vaccine or drug has been found or confirmed okay to treat coronavirus disease yet. Prof Mojisola Adeyeye said: “Please note, no vaccines have been approved for any clinical trial. That may not happen before one year to eighteen months, after clinical trials must have been conducted in different countries. This will be followed by rigorous in-country assessment in line with laid down protocols to further ensure safety and efficacy.”
Just few days ago, Christians celebrated Easter, which was devoid of the usual hustle and bustle, no thanks to the coronavirus outbreak that forced a lockdown. The last few weeks have seen the globe groaning in pain of losses and even grieving as death toll continues to rise against the backdrop of this ravaging virus.
This period has totally changed the human nature that is characterised by physical interaction to a virtual one and has made us to think outside the box. The season deserves to be given what it demands; it punishes us if we fail. While this period lasts, we can draw up some lessons it has taught us.
Despite the announcement by Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, that it can carry out 1,500 tests daily, we still haven’t seen that in play as testing capacity is yet to be stepped up. The low casualty figures and high number of recoveries on COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria still remain cheering but call for review because it is largely due to under-testing with respect to the Nigerian population.
This season has also revealed the greedy nature of some leaders who after acquiring and amassing wealth through tax payer monies could not ensure equitable distribution of relief packages being shared by some of them. How can a law-abiding citizen who stays indoors due to the lockdown order get his relief package when it’s being shared and distributed on the streets and at other open places? Household-to-household method of distribution is only being adopted by private individuals and religious institutions and this has made nonsense of the whole distribution process since it’s only those who defy the stay-at-home order that get the package. Let the government representatives ensure that the palliatives get to the appropriate sections of the society.
The lockdown in some parts of the country has, undoubtedly brought untold hardship on many Nigerians. While the reason behind this lockdown is understandable, the adherence or rather compliance to the social distancing method of curbing COVID-19 spread is below par in my evaluation.
We haven’t done this before, we are still on a learning curve and as such the experience is newly strange to our lives and living. While we join hands with the government to fight this unseen enemy of COVID-19, we must also register our displeasure at government’s one-way approach to the containment of this spread.
The total lockdown of some parts of the country is not the only solution to curbing the virus spread. Yet, those asked to stay indoors are dying of hunger as they do not have access to the relief materials.
Just recently, a research study revealed that the coronavirus can travel four meters, and this is twice the current recommended distance between people making the social distancing less effective and not the best way to curtail the novel virus spread. How about relaxing the lockdown and then distributing packs of the nose masks to all Nigerians? Prof. Ben Ayade of Cross River State lent credence to this when he ordered compulsory use of nose masks by its citizens.
This whole essay might be incomplete if I do not acknowledge the risky and highly sacrificial roles our frontline health officers play in the fight against this unseen virus. Let the government reward them handsomely as promised. NAFDAC is doing its best but it could step up and do better in research and testing capacities in drugs.
Having said all, we do sincerely hope and expect that, in these additional days of the extended lockdown period, we shall get it better and the Nigerian government will truly address the plight of its citizens with various stimulus packages being distributed. There will be even distribution in the society and the right people (the less privileged, the aged, physically challenged or disabled and other categories of the needy) will get the packages intended to relieve their sufferings.
While the lockdown is not license to commit crime, we have seen crime rates increase in some parts of the country, and one good way to prevent this is to provide food for the people locked indoors. Nigeria, indeed the whole world, is hanging on hope in this battle for life as we look forward to an end to the darkness occasioned by COVID-19 sooner than we expect.
Ojewale wrote from Idimu, Lagos via kayodeojewale@gmail.com.
