Director-General of NCDC and a Consultant Epidemiologist, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, said the low Case Fatality Ratio (CFR) or rather death rate of COVID-19 patients in Nigeria is because majority of those infected in the country are between the ages of 31 and 40.

Ihekweazu said experience has shown gaps in legislation for health security in Nigeria, explaining that Nigeria is not part of a global destination for clinical trials of progressive vaccines, like South Africa and Egypt.

He stressed that contrary to some reports that hydroxychloroquine is not recommended for the treatment of COVID-19, the Centre has not dropped the age-old drug, but rather advises the use only in clinical trials, saying COVID-19 has provided opportunity for the rapid scaling up of public health laboratory, emergency preparedness and response capacity.

The NCDC boss said a combination of public health and social measures can only provide 100 per cent effectiveness in the control of the spread of the pandemic with the compliance of Nigerians.

Asked if the pandemic is now under control in Nigeria, Ihekweazu said that: “The COVID-19 pandemic is caused by a virus that had never been identified in humans prior to December last year. This means that we are really starting from ground zero to understand the virus and its characteristics, mode of spread, preventive measures, etc.

“In the absence of a vaccine, the world is at risk of continuous transmission. For now, we have to depend on a combination of public health and social measures that do not provide 100 per cent effectiveness. The success of these measures does not only depend on the effectiveness of the measures themselves, but on compliance by the people.

“Scientists across the world, including in Nigeria, are working very hard to ensure that we have a better understanding of how to control this pandemic as quickly as possible. It is not an easy task and requires patience as we go through systematic scientific processes. But irrespective of the success of science in developing a vaccine, ultimate control will depend on the behaviour of people.”

Ihekweazu reiterated: “It is still too early to interpret a decline in new cases as flattening the curve. We are learning from countries in Europe and other parts of the world that a decline in new cases does not translate to being at the end of the pandemic.

“In most of these countries, they have begun to record an increase in cases again. In other cases, the virus has continued to spread, but not exponentially. We are proud of the leadership of the Lagos State Government in responding to this outbreak, but will not relent in our response activities.