COVID-19 Pandemic in Nigeria: A review

Background: An ongoing outbreak of pneumonia associated with a novel coronavirus was reported in Wuhan city, China. This new virus was named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by the Coronavirus Study Group (CSG) of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. That disease, caused by the SARS-CoV-2, has been named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by the WHO. The outbreak has since spread across the globe, including countries in Africa. Main body: The dominant mode of transmission is from the respiratory tract, via droplets or indirectly via fomites, and to a lesser extent via aerosols. The rapidity with which the infection spread throughout the world was unexpected. The disease has now affected 212 countries, areas, or territories, with more than 2.1 million total confirmed cases and over 144 thousand fatalities as at the time of writing. It, therefore, behooves countries of the world to take firm public health measures for the pandemic is to be contained. Conclusion: Nigeria, with a population of at least 170 million people, is of global interest because a rapid rise in the number of infected people will have serious implications not only for the country but for the whole African continent

An Analysis of Determinants in Antimicrobial Use by Physicians in Ogun State, South West Nigeria.

Introduction: The increasing rates of antimicrobial resistance on the part of pathogens are gradually becoming a pandemic, this has to be curbed to reduce mortality. Background: The vast majority of antimicrobials currently in use are prescribed by Physicians. The Physicians act as a gateway in the control and use of life saving medications such as antimicrobials, attention must be paid towards antimicrobial stewardship and rational antimicrobial use. Methods: This was a cross sectional survey of clinicians at 3 tertiary hospitals in Nigeria. A self-administered structured Questionnaire containing 25 questions was given to the respondents to complete to assess the level of knowledge of physicians in antimicrobial use. Results: The following were found to be statistically significant – Physicians in the Public hospitals were more likely to collect specimens for microbiology analysis before commencing antibiotics – p = 0.02, Odds Ratio (O.R) = 2.61, Risk Ratio (R.R) = 1.47, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.16 – 5.80, Chi Square (χ2) = 1.47, a slightly higher likelihood of Physicians in the Private Tertiary Hospital having a Clinical Microbiologist in their hospital – p = 0. 00, O.R = 0.08, R.R = 0.25, CI = 0.05 – 0.99, χ2 = 4.55. Discussion: Targeting rational interventions via educating physicians on antimicrobial use has had an established positive impact in curbing antimicrobial resistance in hospitals. Conclusion: Training programs on antimicrobial use need to be strengthened.