One-fifth people with respiratory symptoms have Coronavirus — Prof Abayomi

*Lagos Discharges 49 more patients
*Sanwo-Olu sets up committee to revamp Lagos economy

By Idowu Ajigboteso

LAGOS State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, has said that one out of five Lagos residents that exhibits respiratory symptoms is infected with COVID-19.

Abayomi, who spoke during a television programme warned that Coronavirus also affects kidneys, adding that Lagos was recording more confirmed cases lately as a reflection of the increased testing capacity.

“Our diagnosis is rising, because we are testing more and we are also opening more isolation centres. We discharge and we are keeping abreast of the rate of diagnosis in Lagos. We are currently testing people with Coronavirus symptoms and I can categorically say that one in five people in Lagos with respiratory symptoms has Coronavirus.

“We are testing the people that present with symptoms and those that present with symptoms are a reflection of the amount of the infection in the community. Right now, we are getting between 15 and 20 positivity of people presents with symptoms after testing.

“One in five people with respiratory symptoms, that illness is due to COVID-19 and hundreds of other diseases could cause the same thing but that is not what is generally going on in the community; not one in five Lagosians, but one in five people who are unwell, so that gives us a nice data metrics.”
The Commissioner said the state was yet to reach its peak despite the fact that the trend was going up in the state.
He said: “It is a good idea to keep our graph flat by reducing the rate of infection, through the adaption of global ideas to our advantage.”
“Our death rate is very low, and there are some factors responsible for that. Lagos has a population of young people and there might be some environmental factors, our diet may also have something to do with it.”

Discharges 49 more patients
Similarly, the state government has discharged 49 recovered COVID-19 patients from isolation centres bringing the total recoveries to 187.

In a tweet on the Lagos State Ministry of Health Twitter handle, @LSMOH, the state government explained that out of the 49 patients, 28 were female, 21 males including a Greek national.

The patients were discharged from Yaba and Onikan isolation centres to reunite with society.

The statement reads: “18 of the patients are from IDH, Yaba, while 31 from Onikan Isolation Centre. The patients were said to have fully recovered and tested negative to COVID-19 in two consecutive readings. With this, the number of patients successfully treated and discharged in Lagos is now 187.”

Sanwo-Olu sets up Committee to revamp Lagos economy
Meanwhile, Governor  Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has announced plans to set up an all-inclusive committee to fashion out the modality of ensuring controlled easing down of current Federal Government’s lockdown directive with the aim of revamping the state economy amid COVID-19 pandemic.