By Asmau Ahmad
Analysis of the COVID-19 cases obtained from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has revealed a sharp rise of 324 per cent in the number of COVID-19 cases reported in the country within one month.
No fewer than 568 cases were reported in the country between May 12, 2022, and June 12, 2022.
However, between June 13, 2022, and July 12, 2022, no fewer than 2,407 cases were reported leading to a sharp rise of 323.76 per cent in the number of positive cases.
According to reports, the increase comes amidst warning of a potential fifth wave of the pandemic.
The NCDC, in a public health advisory it released ahead of the Sallah break had notified Nigerians of the possibility of a fifth wave of the pandemic.
“As we celebrate, we urge Nigerians to prevent the outset of a full-fledged fifth COVID-19 wave by remaining mindful of the high risk of spread of COVID-19 and acting in tandem by adhering to recommended public health safety measures,” the NCDC had said in its advisory.
So far, a total of 258,874 positive cases have been reported in Nigeria since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. While 250,456 have been discharged, 3,144 have lost their lives.
COVID-19 cases have continued to increase in some parts of the world.
In the United Kingdom, for instance, officials say COVID restrictions may be reintroduced if a rising number of cases has an impact on the National Health Scheme.
This is as official UK data revealed that 2.7 million people in private households are estimated to have had COVID-19 over the past week, up 18% from 2.3 million the previous week.
Meanwhile, the NCDC on its verified Facebook page cautioned Nigerians who are above 50 to take extra cautions to protect themselves.
“COVID-19 may cause severe complications in the elderly and people with underlying medical conditions. Those who are above 50 or with underlying health conditions should take extra caution to protect themselves”.
So far, only 24,675,659 Nigerians representing 22.1 per cent of the total eligible population have been fully vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine according to official data by the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA).
The agency also noted that 11,873,847 have been partially vaccinated representing only 10.6 per cent of the total eligible population.
