Coronavirus: University of Ibadan predicts 312 cases in Nigeria by Friday
Nigeria will likely have at least 312 confirmed cases of coronavirus by Friday, April 3, data released by the University of Ibadan has predicted.
The report by the University of Ibadan Committee on COVID-19 Data Analysis and Management, said if the current trend continued, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nigeria would hit 312 by Friday.
As of Monday morning, Nigeria has recorded 111 cases.
The report was made known to the public by the institution’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnership, Olanike Adeyemo, on her Facebook wall.
“Approximately 70.4 per cent of those people currently infected with COVID-19 were initially exposed to the disease on day 12 of the occurrence of the disease in Nigeria.
“The predictive model is an indication that the disease will continue to be on the increase in the days ahead and that time, in days, accounted for 89.0 per cent of the variation in the cumulative confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria.
“If the current trend continues, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 is expected to be at least 312 by 3rd April, 2020,” the explanatory note on one of the graphs reads.
The Vice Chancellor, Idowu Olayinka, confirmed the report to PREMIUM TIMES via telephone.
Confirmed cases
PREMIUM TIMES reported that Nigeria has tested over 2,000 people for COVID-19, as the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Chikwe Ihekweazu, said the agency was working to track about 6,000 people who have been in contact with persons who tested positive.
Mr Ihekweazu spoke on Monday morning on Channels Television. He reiterated that the confirmed COVID-19 cases are expected to rise.
“In the short-term, the numbers of confirmed cases of COVID-19 are expected to keep rising, but NCDC also expect to be able to get on top of this,” Mr Ihekweazu said.
This newspaper also reported how a total of 111 people have tested positive to the virus, as of Sunday night, according to the NCDC
As part of the measures to check the spread of the disease, President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday announced a lockdown of Lagos and Abuja, the two most affected states by the virus, as well as Ogun, due to its proximity to Lagos.
Currently, Lagos has 68 cases; Abuja – 21, Ogun – three, Ekiti – one, Oyo – seven, Osun – two, Enugu – two, Edo – two, Bauchi – two, while Benue, Kaduna and Rivers states have one case respectively.
The minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, also said the lockdown will allow the government to trace those who have been in contact with those who have tested positive to COVID-19.