Osagie Ehanire,
minister of health, says he believes that coronavirus can be transmitted
sexually.
Speaking at a media
briefing in Abuja on Thursday, Ehanire said the country now has 51 cases of the
COVID-19 disease.
“If a person is
positive, the virus can be transmitted sexually,” he claimed, rather
controversially.
The World Health
Organisation (WHO) says a lot is still unknown about the virus but currently
maintains that it is transmitted through droplets from an infected person.
The virus’ known
routes of transmission are the mouth, nose and eyes.
Health experts have
said there is no evidence to show that the virus can be transmitted via vaginal
or anal intercourse but that it can be transmitted through kissing an infected
person.
Ehanire said the
ministry was grading the coronavirus cases that were presented before it to
avoid its facilities being overcrowded.
He said the
confirmed cases were in four categories and that about 80 percent who tested
positive do not display the symptoms.
He said severe cases
that require oxygen support and ventilators will be taken to the University of
Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, Abuja, assuring that all cases would be
well taken care of.
“We are grading our
cases very carefully, that’s why we don’t have overcrowding yet, depending on
the severity of the case; otherwise, one isolation centre will be filled up if
we mix all the cases together,” he said.
“We have four
categories as regards coronavirus response and treatment. It has been
established that, in most cases, 80 percent of people who tested positive to
the virus don’t display symptoms.
“However, the four
categories are; no symptom category, mild symptoms category, moderate symptom
category and severe symptoms category, which most times, require oxygen or
ventilator for treatment of such patient. But so far, we have not had any such
cases in Nigeria.
“It’s patients that
are on severe symptoms category that are referred to isolation centre at
University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), Gwagwalada, Abuja or elsewhere in
the country.
“We have graded the
cases and that was why UATH or other isolation centres are not crowded. Other
categories are kept at facilities where they are given adequate treatment.”
On reports about the
presidential aide that tested positive to the virus, he replied: “He is receiving
treatment at a secured government facility somewhere in Nigeria. He is not in
any of the known isolation centres because he is not in the fourth category.”
He also said the
government may introduce more measures towards curbing the spread of the virus
if the need arises.
He called on
Nigerians to report cases of people who just got back to the country from high
index countries and urged them to also practise social distancing.
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