Health

NCDC, NIMR, partners to conduct COVID-19 antibody tests in 4 states

admin
21 Sep 2020 12:41 PM GMT
NCDC, NIMR, partners to conduct COVID-19 antibody tests in 4 states
x

 The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the Nigeria Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) and their partners are conducting anti-bodies household surveys in four states in Nigeria. Speaking at the daily briefing of the Presidential Task Force on Monday in Abuja, the Director general of NCDC, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu ​​​​​​said the tests are being conducted to […]

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the Nigeria Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) and their partners are conducting anti-bodies household surveys in four states in Nigeria.

Speaking at the daily briefing of the Presidential Task Force on Monday in Abuja, the Director general of NCDC, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu ​​​​​​said the tests are being conducted to better understand the burden of COVID-19 infection in Nigeria.

“These seroprevalence surveys, which will be carried out in Gombe, Enugu, Nasarawa and Lagos states would provide the best evidence yet, on the extent of COVID-19 infection in the country.

“The seroprevalence surveys are used to identify the occurrence of disease in a population by estimating the presence of antibodies in individuals who have had the disease.

“This is done by testing blood samples in randomly selected households in selected states.

“For Nigeria’s COVID-19 seroprevalence survey, household members will answer a brief questionnaire, be tested for the presence of COVID-19 antibodies, as well as for acute COVID-19, if they consent.

“In addition to this, study participants will also have a rapid malaria test and receive treatment if the test is positive,” he said.

Ihekweazu, said, this is the first set of household surveys to be conducted for COVID-19 in Nigeria and as part of ongoing public health research activities.

“The surveys will increase the current understanding of COVID-19 transmission patterns, the burden of infection in the population, and the age groups most affected.

“This information will help inform COVID-19 response decisions by the Government of Nigeria and partners as part of measures towards ending the pandemic.

” The surveys will also estimate the proportion of people who have COVID-19 but are not showing any symptoms, that is asymptomatic.

“Through this, the country can identify risk factors for infection and measure the transmission of COVID-19 within households,” he explained.

By administering rapid malaria tests, he said, the surveys will also assess malaria infections and their possible relationship to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The results from the surveys, he added, will inform the response to the COVID-19 outbreak in Nigeria.

He also stated that the U.S. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (US-CDC) and the University College London (supported by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) are supporting the NCDC and NIMR in implementing these surveys.

He also said that while the U.S. CDC’s implementing partner, the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), would also support the State Ministries of Health with implementation.

Supreme, reports that the surveys will be conducted between September and November, and preliminary results are expected to be released by December 2020.

admin

admin

    Next Story