APPOLONIA ADEYEMI 
A major challenge militating against the fight against coronavirus pandemic in the country is the public skepticism about the virus, arising from the belief that the pandemic was a scam used by government officials to siphon public funds. But, scientists from the Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS) said basing COVID-19 response on scientific principles could go a long way to change the narrative. APPOLONIA ADEYEMI reports
Scientists under the auspices of Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS) said ensuring that basic scientific principles were applicable in tackling the coronavirus pandemic could be the key to curbing the spread of the disease and reducing death. While making the call recently, the Chairman, Ministerial Expert Advisory Committee on COVID-19, Prof. Oyewale Tomori who was also a top virologist urged some scientists to volunteer their services as part of the sacrifice that would ensure better outcome in the delivery of the fight against the pandemic.
For instance, one of the factors this measure could effectively address was removing the current discordant tunes emanating from Kogi and Cross Rivers states. These are some of the thoughts that echoed during the panel discussion held virtually by the NAS recently. Speaking at the conference tagged: ‘COVID-19 Response in Nigeria: the Science and Scientist, The Policy and The Politician,’ Tomori who was the immediate past president of NAS and lead panelist, lamented the complete lack of preparedness demonstrated by the Federal Government at the onset of the pandemic outbreak. According to him, although the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) was alerted about the situation, the nation was expecting cases to come from China.
“The detection of the first case in the country was by chance because we were not prepared,” he added. In reaction, Tomori said Lagos came out in full force having been laid that foundation from the time of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), but on its part, Ogun State didn’t get on board.
Tomori however said the constraints the country experienced was caused by the nation’s lack of preparedness. Another major challenge dealing devastating blow to the COVID-19 fight, according to Tomori was the fallout from some states that were not aligned with the Federal Government in the fight against the pandemic. The two states currently disseminating discordant messages that did not help are Kogi which was doing what it liked and Cross River that was using its position to confuse people, according to Tomori.
The result of the discordance was the dissemination of different messages which led to people doubting COVID-19 messages from both the Federal and state governments. To learn from this experience the chairman of the ministerial expert advisory committee on COVID-19, said in view of the background it has become necessary to tackle the discordant messages and upgrade both the content of the information and mode of their dissemination to the public. Similarly, Tomori picked holes in the current practice by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), which is presently burdened with building laboratories to strengthen COVID-19 responses from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“The labs ought to have been built before now,” said the virologist. From the experience of the staff of NCDC, Tomori said it was clear that they were overwhelmed; hence, “We need staff from the NAS to volunteer.” While recommending that the Nigerian authority could learn from the style the World Health Organisation (WHO) about information dissemination.
The world body may have been variously criticised for saying something now and the next day changing its stance on thesame issue, Tomori said, “What the WHO is saying the next day is based on new evidence.” Highlighting part of the reason the individuals appeared to have been non-challant about COVID-19, the former President of NAS said the burden of COVID-19 should henceforth be shifted to individuals based on the fact that it is infected persons who do not survive COVID-19 that die. The virology said because COVID-19 kills the individual the government should shift the burden of the disease on persons and if this is done, perhaps individuals would take personal responsibility for their own protection and safety.
Hence, he reasoned that they would stop giving excuses for not observing necessary protocols that could prevent the spread of the disease including hand washing, the use of face mask as well as physical distancing, among others. On the absence of breakthrough in the country for vaccine and drugs that could cure the disease he lamented that what Nigeria lacks was enabling environment for scientists to function. Tomori however urged scientists to get involved and speak up. “Scientists must lend their voice to create that environment,” he added.
While contributing to the conversation, the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu challenged scientists in the country. “We need your voices; scientists should be much more in defending science.” While admitting that the mandate of the NCDC was primarily to support states, Ihekweazu lamented that the NCDC was limited by the use of complex method of diagnostic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) option; which is a molecular diagnostic testing technique. According to Ihekweazu, the NCDC has similarly been strict in keeping to PRC form of lab testing. According to him, there was no point adopting the use of testing that was not reliable; “it doesn’t matter if other testing options were cheaper or faster. “There is no point in taking the test that is not reliable.” Although, Chikwe noted that it was better for these infrastructure to be available more than 60 years ago rather than having been established presently, “In my situation I have to deal with the country I have and not one that I wished I had, though, many experts have harped on the country missing out on the current diagnostic insufficiency in the Nigeria.
Notwithstanding, the director general of the NCDC said building laboratories are not that simple and, neither was the training of lab scientists that would mann the equipment. In his contribution, Prof. Isa Husseini, a pharmacist that is affiliated to the University of Maiduguri, while reviewing mortality rate from COVID-19 globally, said the number of death in Nigeria was far lower than expected. Using data from the NCDC, he said in May, 2020, the mortality rate in Nigeria per day was high and in June it was still high, but in August, the number of death has declined. Comparing the death rate with what was happening in other parts of the world, he said while death rate in Nigeria was .2 per cent, globally it was 3. 63 per cent while in the United States (US), it was 3.16 per cent.
Speaking on the proposed medications to tackle COVID-19, Husseini said Nigeria needed to think outside the box and use what it has. He noted that although, the use of hydroxycholoroquine has become very controversial, immune boosters are however being used presently in the country to help patients overcome COVID-19. He lamented that the best course to take was the vaccine option, but the time to actualise vaccine takes time. Consequently, he recommended that Nigeria should depend on the use of herbal therapy to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 in the country.
Husseini urged both the Federal and state governments to challenge the NAS and provide them substantial funding to find cure and vaccines for COVID-19 and other diseases. “I am not talking about one million or two million but I mean that governments should invest billions to find vaccines for COVID-19. “This can be done in the next six months to one year. “If it is vaccine, it may take up to 18 months to find the vaccine.”
