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The United States on Thursday said it would resume its funding of the UN’s health agency as President Joe Biden shifts towards greater international cooperation in the fight against COVID-19. On his first day in the job, Biden despatched his top expert Anthony Fauci to Switzerland and confirmed he had reversed the decision of former president Donald Trump to quit the World Health Organisation.
“Under trying circumstances, this organisation has rallied the scientific and research and development community to accelerate vaccines, therapies and diagnostics,” Fauci told a WHO meeting in Geneva, confirming that the US would continue to pay its dues to the organisation.
The Nigeria Governors Forum has dissociated itself from a statement by a member and Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, about coronavirus conspiracy theories.
It also set up a committee of experts headed by Prof. Oyewole Tomori to advise members on the procurement and administration of coronavirus vaccines expected to arrive in Nigeria in February.
Africa in danger of being left behind in COVID-19 vaccination – WHO
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The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that Africa is in danger of being left behind in COVID-19 vaccination as prices spike due to competition in other regions. Matshidiso Moeti, the agency’s Regional Director for Africa, gave the warning during a briefing on Thursday.
Moeti stated that Guinea was the only low-income country on the continent to have received doses, with only 25 people vaccinated so far. According to her, Seychelles is the only country on the continent where a national COVID-19 vaccination campaign has started.
If you’re unwell or COVID-19 positive, don’t take vaccine yet -Experts
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Experts say if you feel a bit unwell but don’t have COVID-19 symptoms, you should defer taking the coronavirus vaccine. The World Health Organisation also warned that people with a history of severe allergic reaction to any component of the COVID-19 vaccine and most pregnant women should not to take the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
WHO also said that children under the age of 16 and international travellers who are not part of a prioritised group should also refrain from taking the vaccine. This is even as the National Primary Health Care Development Agency says Nigeria hopes to get 42 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine soon to cover one fifth of its population.
Medical experts have urged hypertensive patients receiving treatment for COVID-19 not to abandon their blood pressure medications to avoid serious complications. They noted that proper control of blood pressure through adherence to prescribed medications help ensure a better outcome for COVID-19 treatment.
The physicians warned that abandoning blood pressure medications can result in a spike in blood pressure which could result in serious COVID-19 complications. The experts, Public Health Physician and Chief Executive Officer, Medway Medicals Limited, Dr. Tuyil Mebawondu-Olowu; and former Secretary-General, Nigerian Medical Association, Dr. Olumuyiwa Odusote,
COVID-19 survivors share story, say experience ‘terrifying’
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While many Nigerians still think COVID-19 is a hoax, some people who have survived the deadly infection have chronicled how they contracted and survived the virus. They shared their experiences and recovery journeys in response to a tweet by social media influencer, Dr. Joe Abah.
Abah had tweeted through his verified Twitter handle @JoeAbah that he wanted to hear the experience of anyone that had survived the global pandemic. “I would be interested to hear the experience of anyone that has survived the coronavirus infection.
A Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Dr. Oluseyi Adelekan, says women whose menstrual cycle is more than 35 days and have hair distribution like a man are likely going to have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.
Dr. Adelelekan, however, said that having hairy chest and beards alone does not mean a woman has PCOS. PCOS is a condition in women characterised by irregular or no menstrual periods, obesity, and excess hair growth.
COVID-19 nasal spray trial gains attention as vaccine use continues
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As the world seeks various solutions and interventions to halt the spread of COVID-19, experts say developing nasal spray vaccine against the viral infection will be economical and easier to administer, especially in the developing countries.
An Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Kwara State, Prof. Adekunle Dunmade, told PUNCH HealthWise that having nasal spray vaccine against COVID-19 has lots of advantages.
This is the detail of COVID-19 Health Protection Regulations 2021, as signed into law by the President, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd). Defaulers risk a fine or six-month jail terms, says Secretary to Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.
It is titled: CORONAVIRUS DISEASE (COVID-19) HEALTH PROTECTION REGULATIONS 2021. In the exercise of the powers conferred upon me by Section 4 of the Quarantine Act, Cap. Q2 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2010 and all other powers enabling me in that behalf;
How to curb neglected tropical diseases, according to WHO
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The World Health Organisation has called for multi sectoral actions to beat neglected tropical diseases. Neglected tropical diseases include buruli ulcer, chagas disease, cysticercosis, dengue fever and dracunculiasis (Guinea worm disease).
Others are echinococcosis, fascioliasis, human African trypanosomiasis (African sleeping sickness). leishmaniasis and leprosy. The remainder are lymphatic filariasis, mycetoma, onchocerciasis, rabies, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminths and trachoma.
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Over 44,000 children below the age of five years have been immunised in Gabasawa Local Government Area of Kano for the January round of the Immunisation Plus Days. Alhaji Sani Dawaki, the Primary Health Care Coordinator in the area revealed this on Wednesday during the evening review meeting at Gabasawa, Kano.
The coordinator attributed the success of the exercise to the efforts of the District Head of the area, the Fulani leaders as well as Ward Heads who mobilised their subjects. In his comments, the District Head of the area, Alhaji Sani Dawaki, called on health workers to put more efforts to ensure a polio-free Kano.
24-year-old student develops breast cancer screening device
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A 24-year-old student from Spain, Judit Giró Benet, has developed a home-testing kit for breast cancer. Benet came up with the idea following her mother’s diagnosis of breast cancer. She had realised the need for a more accessible test for the disease, reports say.
Her invention — The Blue Box — fetched her the top prize for the 2020 James Dyson Award. However, a former President of the Nigerian Cancer Society, Prof. Sani Malami, said though a very commendable effort, the device is still a long way from being recommended as a screening or diagnostic tool for cancer of the breast, because it has not been clinically validated in a clinical trial.
Consecutive drop in new global COVID-19 cases encouraging, says WHO
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The number of new COVID-19 cases globally has fallen for the third week in a row, the World Health Organisation reported on Monday. The global health agency, however, urged countries not to let up efforts to defeat the disease.
“There are still many countries with increasing numbers of cases, but at the global level, this is encouraging news”, said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking during the agency’s bi-weekly briefing from Geneva.
Why people test positive after taking COVID-19 vaccine -Report
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Some people in the United States have tested positive after obtaining the COVID-19 vaccine, reports say. The New York Times says at least three members of Congress, a Hall of Fame basketball coach, and a nurse in California had all tested positive after obtaining the vaccine.
Reacting, experts say cases like these are not surprising and do not indicate that there was something wrong with the vaccines or how they were administered. They explained that, to start with, vaccines don’t work instantly.
