Policy Briefs
Selonnes Policy Tidbits: | Covid-19 Nigerians exhibiting false sense of security
Federal authorities and NCDC continue to do their utmost in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet it is taking about 3-4 weeks to contact trace some travelers who returned into Nigeria from the U.S. and other hotspot countries. Regrettably from most Nigerians who should be observing social distancing are not doing so, we are also witnessing a false sense of security, due to the reported low headcount of the Covid-19 infections, which in actuality is relative to low testing count.
Granted that the low count might be because Nigeria is contiguously outside the orbit of the present hotspot countries, but Nigerians are peripatetic and heavy travelers, thus the incidence of infections will be high consequently, and relatively proportional to our high rate of travel as well as high rate of concealment of infections.
The window remains vastly open that Nigeria may yet be hard hit down the line; as the exponential spread simmers beneath the surface, now is time to strategize for that boom moment. Meanwhile we must continue to aggressively identify, isolate and treat those already infected. -OHO
