Nigeria’s COVID-19 infections top 150,000

FILE PHOTO: A health worker sprays his headset during a community testing exercise as authorities battle the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on April 16, 2020 in Abuja, Nigeria. REUTERS / Afolabi Sotunde / File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A health worker sprays his headset during a community testing exercise as authorities battle the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on April 16, 2020 in Abuja, Nigeria. REUTERS / Afolabi Sotunde / File Photo

The NCDC (Nigeria Center for Disease Control) confirmed on Friday that Nigeria exceeded 150,000 people with Covid_19 infections. A total of 150,256 people were infected, including 877 new cases reported Thursday from 26 states.

However, the country has seen 126,417 recoveries so far and sadly lost 1,803 people to coronavirus, including 100 people who all succumbed to the disease last week.

The last dire milestone came about 11 months after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus a pandemic on March 11, 2020.

Health experts say the numbers and true extent of the spread of the disease are underestimated due to the country’s poor testing process.

Nigeria plans to vaccinate up to 50 percent of its population against the coronavirus by 2021, but has yet to receive its first batch of vaccine despite multiple agreements and partnerships the country has made to secure the much-needed bumps.

The country expects to receive an initial 16 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines through the Vaccines Global Assess Facility (COVAX) by the end of February.

Health Minister Osagie Ehanire said last week that an additional 42 million doses will be delivered to the country through the African Union’s African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT).

This as the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) approved the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for use in Nigeria on Thursday.

(With contributions from agencies)

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