COVID-19: Doctors Foresee Another Fresh Lockdowns In Nigeria, Give Reason

At a time the five-weeks lockdown slammed on parts of Nigeria by President Muhammadu Buhari is easing today - Monday, the Association of Resident Doctors, ARD, has advised Nigerians to avoid risky behaviours or be ready for another round of shutdowns to be necessitated by an increasing number of COVID-19 cases.

Chairman of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, UITH, chapter of ARD, Dr. Lanre Olosunde, who handed this advice on Sunday during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, lamented that the partial lifting of lockdown was not the best step at the moment.

Olosunde pointed out that the fear of COVID-19 should rather drive Nigerians to behave responsibly and follow laid down rules to ensure the prevention of spread and not panic.

According to him, “Everyone should also be prepared for another round of possible lockdowns, if cases continue to increase exponentially.

Allnews recalls that Buhari, had in a nationwide broadcast last Monday, announced a gradual easing of the Coronavirus lockdown in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, and Lagos and Ogun states, from May 4.

The new measures included a nationwide 8pm to 6am curfew, mandatory wearing of face masks and a ban on “non-essential” travel between different regions.

Reacting, the ARD chairman said: “I think it is not the best choice at this time when we are really seeing the evidence of active community spread of COVID-19.

“This is coupled with the fact that our testing capabilities are still far below what is required.

“I sincerely pray we won’t get to the number of the deaths recorded in Italy or that of United States,” he said.

He, therefore, advised Nigerians to follow the advice of medical experts on prevention of COVID-19, stressing that those who were elderly or those at any age who have underlying chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, HIV and cancer, among others, need to take extra precautions and stay at home because they were most vulnerable to this disease.

Olosunde said people should beware that COVID-19 was deadly, adding that we have seen what it has done to people in other climes, and the fear of COVID-19 should drive all Nigerians to behave responsibly despite the easing of the lockdown.