Nigeria confirms 627 new COVID-19 cases as Health Minister says trials with indigenous herbs not yielded results yet

Chidi Samuel| Nigeria on Friday recorded 627 new coronavirus cases bringing the country’s toll 15, 181.

In a Tweet via its verified twitter handle on Friday night, the Nigeria Centre For Disease Control said the new infections were recorded in Lagos 229, FCT 65, Abia 54, Bornu 42, Oyo 35, Rivers 28, Edo 28, Gombe 27, Ogun 21, Plateau 18 and Delta also 18.

Other centres of infections are, Bauchi 10, Kaduna 10, Benue 8, Ondo 8, Kwara 6, Nasarawa 4, Enugu 4, Sokoto 3, Niger 3, Kebbi 3, Yobe and Kano recorded 1 case each.

The health agency further noted that the country has so far recorded 4891 discharges and 399 deaths.

The tweet read, 627 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria

Lagos-229
FCT-65
Abia-54
Borno-42
Oyo-35
Rivers-28
Edo-28
Gombe-27
Ogun-21
Plateau-18
Delta-18
Bauchi-10
Kaduna-10
Benue-9
Ondo-8
Kwara-6
Nasarawa-4
Enugu-4
Sokoto-3
Niger-3
Kebbi-3
Yobe-1
Kano-1

Total:
15181 confirmed
4891 discharged
399 deaths

-Our trials with indigenous herbs have not yielded results yet – Ehanire

Nigeria’s health minister, Osagie Ehanire, on Friday said that the ongoing trials with indigenous herbs for COVID-19, have not yielded any results yet.

Ehanire who made the disclosure at a special Democracy Day programme on Channels Television, while responding to questions made mention of the samples of the traditional remedies which Nigeria recently received from Madagascar.

According to him, they have been given to research centers and “the Nigeria Center for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, the Institute of Medical Research in Yaba, and also the organs of the Ministry of Science and Technology are looking into these herbal remedies.”

“The indigenous herbs that have also been developed for trial have also not yet yielded the results,” he added.

The health minister also noted that Nigeria will continue to work with the World Health Organisation to develop possible solutions to the virus.

“As far as the other medicines are concerned, we are working with the World Health Organisation solidarity trial, to see what medicines may work.

“We have tried Chloroquine, we are trying Hydroxychloroquine and some other combinations including anti-retroviral drugs which are believed to have the potential to halt the growth of the virus.

“Some of them are said to work invitro (outside the body) but it is not yet confirmed that they also work inside the body (invivo).

“The tests are still going on and we do not have any conclusive reports at yet,” Ehanire said.