CoronaVirus Updates
NCDC confirms 313 new cases, says COVID-19 not same as Malaria
BY NICHOLAS ABE
The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Sunday confirmed 313 new cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria.
It also announced that Nigeria recorded five new COVID-19 related deaths.
In an update published on its COVID-19 Micro Site, the NCDC said the 313 new cases were reported from 16 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Lagos State remains the epicentre of the coronavirus battle, churning out an unhealthy 148 cases. The FCT followed with 36 new cases.
Others are: Rivers (27), Edo (19), Kano (13), Ogun (12), Ebonyi (11), Nasarawa (8), Delta (8), Oyo (7), Plateau (6), Kaduna (5), Kwara (4), Akwa Ibom (3), Bayelsa (3), Niger (2), Anambra (1).
Till date, 7,839 cases have been confirmed, 2,263 cases have been discharged and 226 deaths have been recorded in 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Cross River and Kogi states have yet to record any case.
READ: NAFDAC warns against use of Chloroquine after Okupe’s claim
Meanwhile, the NCDC has spoken unequivocally that COVID-19 is not the same thing as Malaria.
In a response to a question, “Is #COVID19 the same as malaria?” on its Twitter handle, the infectious diseases management agency replied: “No.”
It explained: “Although both diseases may present with fever, they are very different. #COVID19 is caused by a virus while Malaria by Plasmodium parasite. However, an individual can have #COVID19 and malaria at the same time.”
Two prominent Nigerians, owner of Ray Power FM and AIT, Chief Raymond Dokpesi and former presidential aide Dr Doyin Okupe, who variously tested positive for coronavirus infection but later recovered after they were isolated and treated, had muted the similarity between COVID-19 and Malaria when they revealed that they were administered medications similar to the type used in treating Malaria.