80 Percent Of COVID-19 Patients Are Better Treated In Hotels – PTF

The Presidential Task Force, PTF, on COVID-19 Pandemic has advised against keeping asymptomatic Coronavirus patients in isolation centres and hospitals, adding that patients without symptoms, who constitute about 80 per cent of COVID-19 victims, were better treated in more comfortable places like hotels.

National Coordinator of the PTF, Dr Sani Aliyu, who stated this in Abuja on Wednesday, charged states of the federation to start preparing and equipping isolation centres with not less than 300 beds.

He explained that the advice to keep those with little or no symptoms away from hospitals and regular isolation centres was because they would not need serious treatment or monitoring, adding that this would avail more spaces for those with serious symptoms.

Aliyu urged Nigerians to take the outbreak serious, warning that, “we must do everything to prevent another spike in the spread of the virus during the eased lockdown phase.

“I’ll like to again emphasise the need for us all to take personal responsibility for themselves and their loved ones, to observe and obey the new eased lockdown guidelines,” he said while regretting the level of abandonment that greeted the commencement of the eased lockdown on Tuesday, especially in Lagos State.

The PTF, which warned that the COVID-19 outbreak in Nigeria was far from being over, easing of lockdown notwithstanding, urged Nigerians to cooperate with security agents in observing the guidelines recently issued for the eased lockdown, reeling out some of the critical rules and regulations to be observed so as to keep the spread of the infection down.

Aliyu continued, “Secondly, we also had a bundle of measures which we realised, if fully implemented, if fully delivered by everybody, will have the same impact as that of an absolute lockdown.

“I must emphasise that the COVID-19 emergency in Nigeria is far from over. Our chances of coming out of this crisis sooner, rather than later, depends on our absolute compliance to the eased lockdown guidelines. The guidelines have specific aspects within them that I’ll like to emphasize.

“Apart from the mandatory overnight curfew nationwide, from 8pm to 6am, we have also provided guidance to banks with regards to access and ensuring that physical distancing applies as well as rules around mass gatherings. We’ve provided guidance on opening times for buses and motor parks, for construction sites and for restaurants.”