DESPITE THE EXPERTS PREDICTIONS, NIGERIA SEEMS MET UNPREPARED FOR THE SECOND PHASE OF COVID-19

The second phase of covid-19 has become reality in Nigeria as the rate at which the disease is spreading is unprecedented. Though, experts have predicted this before now and the government is expected to have prepared beforehand but the case seem to be otherwise.

The confirmed case of covid-19 as at 26th of November as recorded by NCDC is placed at 83,576 contrary to the 67,557 cases on 30th November an increment of about 16,019 new cases in less than one month, that is an estimate of about 23.7% increase in just 26 days. The country had discharged additional 7,213 patients since December 1st pending the total number of discharged patients at 70,495 from 63,282 at the end of November while also recorded 74 new deaths which make the number of covid-19 death in Nigeria increased from 1,173 on November ending to 1,247 as at 26th of December this year depicting an average of three death per day. Whereas, the active case in the country increased with a prodigious 281.5% in less than one month from 3,102 at the end of November to 11,834 cases as at 26th of December. This shows and confirmed with no element of doubt the second wave of the virus in the most populous black nation of the world. Nigeria has made a total of 925,215 test since the emergence of the disease in the country, this number is too small for a country with an estimated population of over 200 million having less than a million test done showing that out of 200 people less than one person is tested.
Lagos, FCT, Kaduna, Plateau and Oyo state remain the five states leading the table in Nigeria with Kebbi, Zamfara and Kogi at the far bottom of the table as shown below.

On the 26th of December alone, 829 new cases were reported from 15 states with Lagos having the largest share of 296 followed by FCT-291, Kaduna-79, Rivers-40, Kano-35, Nasarawa-25, Bauchi-19, Benue-8, Borno, Edo, Oyo Sokoto-7 each, Jigawa and Cross River-3 each and Ogun reported 2 cases. The intensity of the new wave has called for federal and state governments reaction to impose partial lockdown in some states although this does not go well with the public as majority of the citizens do not want another phase of lockdown. For the course of this piece, our analyst has discovered that 75% of comments on any post that include the word "Lockdown" on Facebook express FEAR, SADNESS and ANGER.
Meanwhile, Nigeria in her response to the new trend of covid-19 in the country is preparing to acquire and administer covid-19 vaccines to not less than 20 million people of her population starting from January next year, this was disclosed by the minister of health, Mr Osagie Ehanire at a news conference in Abuja.
There will be light at the end of the tunnel of curbing covid-19 in the land if this is well implemented and more efforts are intensified to increase the number to at least one-third of the population.