COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria
The COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria was a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first confirmed case in Nigeria was announced on 27 February 2020, when an Italian national in Lagos tested positive for the virus.[4][5] On 9 March 2020, a second case of the virus was reported in Ewekoro, Ogun State, a Nigerian citizen who came into contact with the Italian national.[6][7]
The effect of the virus in Nigeria has become notable worldwide for being extremely understated, as there have been just under 255,000 confirmed cases in a country of 200 million+; however, there has been far less testing for the virus in Nigeria than other countries.[8] Deaths however have been minimal (3,155).[9] This has been credited to a warmer climate, far younger populations (fewer people in care homes), faster government responses, and, crucially, experience in dealing with recent epidemics, such as the Ebola virus, that most Western countries lacked.[10]
Background[edit]
On 28 January 2020, the Federal government of Nigeria assured citizens of the country of its readiness to strengthen surveillance at five international airports in the country to prevent the spread of coronavirus.[11] The government announced the airports as Enugu, Lagos, Rivers, Kano and the FCT.[12] The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control also announced same day that they had already set up coronavirus group and was ready to activate its incident system if any case emerged in Nigeria.[13]
On 31 January, following the developments of COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China and other countries worldwide, the federal government of Nigeria set up a Coronavirus Preparedness Group to mitigate the impact of the virus if it eventually spreads to the country.[14][15] On the same day, the World Health Organization listed Nigeria among other 13 African countries identified as high-risk for the spread of the virus.[16]
On 26 February, a Chinese citizen presented himself to the Lagos State government on suspicion of being infected with coronavirus. He was admitted at Reddington Hospital and was released the following day after testing negative.[17][18]
As the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 continued to increase across Nigeria, the Federal government of Nigeria declared a total lockdown from 30 March 2020 to 15 May 2020, as part of the global effort to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus.[19][20]