Lagos tops COVID-19 tests; Kano, Bauchi flaunt worst ratio – NCDC

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More persons have been tested for COVID-19 in Lagos State than any other in Nigeria, according to an update by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Tuesday.

Of the country’s 35,983 tests conducted so far, 14, 885 were done in its epicentre, Lagos.

Put in proper context, over 40 per cent of the nation’s total tests have been carried out in its commercial hub with 2, 550 returning positive.

However, it is Kano and Bauchi states that flaunt frightening test-per-infection ratios.

Kano is third behind the Federal Capital Territory with 2,653 persons examined of which 825 were positive.

This means one in a little over three persons examined were positive with an infection rate of 31 percent.

The situation is even more critical in Bauchi.

With 215 infections from 577 tests conducted, it is averaging a positive case in just above dual tests with a scary rate of 37 percent.

This, though, somewhat explains mysterious deaths in both states in the last one month.

No fewer than 600 persons reportedly died in Kano, prompting the Federal Government to place the state on lockdown.

With the result of the formal investigation to the root cause still being expected, a bulk of Nigerians, for now, pinned it on the contagion.

In Bauchi, the government claim 150 persons died in Katagum, while a former federal lawmaker, Ibrahim Baba, startled many Nigerians when he wrote ‘save our soul’ letter to President Muhammadu Buhari alleging that about 300 persons have been buried in a part of the state, showing COVID-19 related complications.

A copy of the letter, which was addressed to the president through the office of the Secretary to the government of the Federation, circulated on social media last week.

The letter, dated May 8, 2020/was titled “massive COVID-19 outbreak in Azare: request for urgent action!” was signed by the federal lawmaker, Mr. Baba.

Aside from the aforementioned states, only 15 others have racked up 500 or more tests.

They include Ogun, Oyo, Gombe, Edo, Kwara, Kaduna, Jigawa, Katsina, Borno, Sokoto, and Osun States.

Kogi and Cross River States are at the rare, managing an appalling one and seven tests respectively.

And shockingly, Governor Yahaya Bello is the only person to be checked in the ‘Confluence State’ while others are deprived access to the NCDC.

Nigeria’s testing capacity has come under serious questions.

The West African nation is currently testing around 1,500 people per day, which is one of the lowest per average in the world.

Nigeria lags behind in COVID-19 surveillance, contact tracing, and testing when compared with its peers such as Ghana and South Africa that have conducted over 100,000 tests.

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