The Lagos State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Musiliu Akinsanya also known as MC Oluomo, has said members of the union caught engaging in crimes during the coronavirus lockdown would be dismissed.

MC Oluomo disclosed this on Monday in a statement posted on his verified Instagram page.

He implored his men to endure the season.

Cases of robbery and banditry have increased in the last few days with Lagosians forming vigilante groups and making bonfires to survive each day.

The NURTW boss said members apprehended at crime scenes would be prosecuted and dismissed while urging them to obey the stay-at-home order of the government.

The statement read in part, “The NURTW Chairman enjoined all members to endure for the time being otherwise any member caught either attached to robbery or caught at the scene of the act will be totally dismissed and prosecuted by law.

“MC Olumo advised members, including motorcycle and tricycle riders, popularly called Okada and Maruwa to adhere to the federal and state governments’ orders as regards the lockdown on movement.

“He also implored all members especially the branch chairmen to be vigilant and assist their various communities in combating the daylight robberies that are currently being reported in different areas.

“He pleaded with them to stay indoors because it is for the general good.”

I stumbled on a research paper published by a scholar Don.C.Ohadike detailing the havoc wrecked by the 1918 -19 influenza pandemic in Nigeria.The one that caught my attention was the deaths that occurred as a result of that pandemic in Abeokuta Province. How would you feel being told that more than 3000,yes I mean more than three thousand people died in Abeokuta within 6 months during 1918-19 influenza pandemic. Quickly my heart began to pang. What came to my mind was "God forbid bad thing". I said so considering the similarities between what happened in 1918 -19 influenza pandemic and the current Covid-19.What we are playing with is not a joking matter. God forbid bad thing. Affliction will not rise the second time.

The research article titled "Diffusion and Physiological Responses to the Influenza pandemic of 1918-19 in Nigeria" reported that while about 21million people died world wide, over 500,000 people died in Nigeria with about 18million population and 3,283 deaths were recorded in Abeokuta Province which had population of 328,300.Abeokuta province is the current Ogun State with 3 Senatorial Districts and 20 Local Governments. 

What baffled me most was the similarities between the influenza pandemic of 1918-19 and the current world tormentor nicknamed Covid-19.

First ,the 1918 influenza was imported to Nigeria through Lagos via a ship ( S S Bida) in September 14,1918 .It appeared in Abeokuta Ist October 1918 and Ibadan 5th October and spread to all provinces in Nigeria within a very short period of time. Secondly the researcher went further to state exactly what looks like the current happening in Nigeria;
certain facts manifested themselves clearly during the epidemic. First it was realised that the disease was not often spread by patients with advanced symptoms but by those with mild attacks who continued to perform their daily tasks in public places, in schools, churches, market places and in the streets. The result was that despite attempts to isolate detected cases, those with mild effects eluded the observation of medical workers". Another similarity as reported by the researcher " The greatest problem was created by people attempting to escape from the epidemic. In Port Harcourt, nearly 1000 labourers deserted their jobs and returned to their home towns and villages thereby introducing the influenza into the outlying settlements"
I do not intend to cause any fear, anxiety or panic, but rather call the attention of all and sundry to the problem at hand to learn from history.

The research work revealed that the following deaths occurred in Nigeria during the 1918-19 influenza pandemic.

* Lagos Township 1,200.
*Lagos Colony excluding Lagos Township 2,877.
*Abeokuta province-3,283.
*Ilorin province-28,884.
*Oyo provinc-29,750

*Kano province 57,978 among others.

The above source was credited to Public Records Office PRO (co 583/77 of Sept 1991 reported by J.Berlinger and M.Cameron.
Dear reader, my point is that there is the need to do everything humanly possible to prevent the full scale spread of Covid-19. As at the time influenza pandemic ravaged Nigeria, the population was about 18 million and the population of Abeokuta province was 328,300 according to the source.

The researcher said "Large towns suffered more than small and remote villages. This was attributed to to overcrowding and poor sanitary conditions".

The situation is too similar, people escaping from quarantine, people refusing to disclose their travel history,people refusing to obey government directives to stay at home during lockdown and failure to observe other precautionary measures.There is overcrowding in the marketplaces,churches and mosques among others. On Tuesday April 7,I went to 3 market places in Abeokuta to observe how people followed the precautionary measures. What I saw at the market places that I visited (Gbangba ,Lafenwa and Omida markets) was not encouraging. I hope no infected person was at any of the markets I visited. I must commend the efforts of the government. Honestly those in authority are seeking the best ways to handle the challenge in such away that citizens' hardships can be minimized. We are troubleshooting. No prior template to follow. It is not easy to be a leader at a period like this. But I want to advocate that if we don't want the reoccurrence of 1918-19 high mortality, a more drastic measure must be taken. For example a complete stay at home for a minimum of 8-10 days without any suspension must be observed. We have to go through some tougher measures to defeat Covid-19. Let the government provide the necessary leadership and let the citizens be ready to sacrifice. Afflictions will not rise again.

May God forbid bad thing.

Ref: Don ,C.Ohadike Diffusion and Physiological Responses to the Influenza Pandemic of 1918-19 in Nigeria .Soc Sci Med vol32,No 12,pp1393-1399

A woman has narrated how she went from being a single mother with two kids, to becoming a side chic and then a wife.

She told of how she was praying to God to send her a man when she was a single mother. Eventually, her husband met her and insisted that she was the one for him.

She went on to become his side chic even though he had a "wife as a co-tenant". From there, she became his girlfriend and is now the man's wife.

She shared her story while taking part in the wife VS side chic challenge.

She shared a photo collage showing her as a single mother, then as a side chic praying that the man, named Larry, will make her his wife "above all the other babes" around him. Another shows her as a girlfriend when said she began "slaying" more then ever so that her man will not drop her. Now that she's his wife, she said she is slaying "hotter than fire."

She revealed that she got the support of her husband and her family before she shared her story.

Read her story below.

Former First Lady of Nigeria, Patience Jonathan has struck a deal to release her 200-bed hotel as a Coronavirus Isolation and treatment centre.

The former First Lady, it was learnt, struck the deal with First Lady Aisha Buhari, which led to her release of the hotel, under litigation, for use by the government at the critical time, The Nation reports.

The First Lady Aisha Buhari, through her pet project, the Future Assured Programme, entered into separate agreements with Mrs. Jonathan and the Ministry of Health to convert the hotel into a COVID-19 treatment centre.

Mrs. Buhari made an offer to the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, to equip it as a treatment centre to international standards, the publication adds.

Although the hotel will be formally handed over to the Minister of Health on Monday, it will be managed by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) COVID-19 committee.

The Future Assured Programme is providing facilities like water, furniture, beddings, fittings and modern health equipment used to manage COVID-19 cases.

It was gathered that the “deal” between the First Lady and her predecessor was struck at a recent meeting by the duo at the Presidential Villa.

A source who spoke to TheNation quoted Mrs. Jonathan as saying: “This is the time we must all come together, irrespective of political differences, to assist this nation to fight the pandemic. It is a time to shun politics.

“I will do everything to help this great country that has also given me the opportunity to serve.”

Investigation revealed that the First Lady decided to collaborate with Mrs. Jonathan to avoid the Future Assured Programme running into any legal crisis.

A highly-placed source told the publication: “Since the dispute over the property is still in court, the First Lady opted to seek the consent of Mrs. Patience Jonathan on the temporary use of the seized hotel. This mutual understanding has removed all legal hurdles.

“After the nation has overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, the hotel will be handed over to the Federal Ministry of Health, which will in turn revert back to the EFCC. Those involved are, therefore, the Future Assured Programme, the Ministry of Health, the EFCC and ex-First Lady Mrs. Patience Jonathan.

“All the existing agreements are without prejudice to the final decision of the court on the property, which the First Lady said is owned by a separate entity, Aurora Foundation.”

About 1.15pm on Sunday, April 12, about 30 workers were seen putting final touches to the centre.

A 20-man team of mobile policemen was on the alert to secure the  sophisticated equipment already installed.

A source said: “It is a five-storey hotel which can actually be upgraded into 300 bedrooms. But so far, we have fitted the ground floor and three out of the other five floors.

“All things being equal, the hotel will be handed over on Monday by the First Lady. We have been working day and night on this project."

The hotel is located in a valley in Mabushi part of Abuja, off the ever busy Mabushi Kado Expressway.

Idayat Gbadamosi, an associate professor at the University of Ibadan, has written a yet-to-be-published paper on possible herbal ways of preventing the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). 

Gbadamosi, a well-published expert in ethnobotany and medicinal plants, says her publication is “targeted towards boosting the immune system to help fight the coronavirus,” clearly stating that it is “not by any means a cure for COVID-19 infection”.

The reader, who has been published in the New York Science Journal and the European Journal of Medicinal Plants, argues that “while countries such as the USA and Europe are battling with insufficient testing equipment and space, Nigerians should turn to nature and explore the benefits of medicinal plants as immune boosters and anti-infectives with a view to mitigating the spread of COVID-19 infection”.

Based on her expertise, Gbadamosi says “the prevention of infectious diseases relies on the use of botanical detoxifiers, immune-boosting remedies, natural antioxidants, plant haematinics, and spices”.

“Based on the fact that COVID-19 is a viral infection, the use of antiviral medicinal plants might be useful in its prevention and management.”

Working with the symptoms of COVID-19 infection, which includes fever, cough, body pain, flu, cold and shortness of breath, Gbadamosi proposed “plants with antimalarial effect, cough remedy, herbal analgesic, and medicinal plants” that could be useful in the prevention of the COVID-19 infection.

Recommendations include:

Botanical detoxifiers: Two botanicals that are valuable detoxifiers are Neem (Azadirachta indica) and Turmeric (Curcuma domestica). Neem is a plant best known for its ability to cleanse the skin, the liver and controls blood sugar. It is readily available in Nigeria and it has a vast array of healing properties. It gently purifies the blood and promotes healthy blood circulation.

Turmeric is the king of all spices with powerful antioxidant properties. It has an array of pharmacological effects in the treatment of arthritis, rheumatism, cancer, obesity, infections, etc. It contains curcuminoids and it is a free-radicals fighter. Daily consumption of turmeric could prevent many degenerative diseases. Turmeric could be made bioavailable if prepared as a powder in combination with Aframomum melegueta (Guinea pepper). 

Herbal immune boosters: Guava (Psidium guajava) leaf, mango (Mangifera indica) stem bark and leaf, lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus) leaf, ginger (Zingiber officinale) rhizome, garlic (Allium sativum) bulb and cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) stem bark are immune-boosting herbs that can be prepared in powdered form or as a decoction for oral administration. Generally, spices other than pepper are rich in antioxidants, antimicrobials; they also have anticancer properties.

Research has confirmed that eating a small amount of ginger (Zingiber officinale) daily for 11 days or more can reduce muscle pain and inflammation; ginger also aids digestion. Generally spicing food up a little adds more than just flavour. Other useful spices are onions (Allium species), black pepper (Piper guineense), guinea pepper, clove (Syzygium aromaticum) and green onions (Allium ascalonicum).

As an example, an immune-boosting recipe is as follows: Prepare a decoction of powdered turmeric (125 g), ginger (20 g), garlic (2 g), guinea pepper (a pinch), clove (a pinch), black pepper (a pinch) and coconut water (5 cups) by boiling for 20 minutes. Allow the extract to cool and filter using a fine sieve. Then add lemon (4 teaspoons) and honey (teaspoons) to the extract. Drink ½ teacup of the extract before breakfast or in between meals once daily. One preparation can last for a week if refrigerated.

Natural antioxidants: Fruits and vegetables have antioxidant properties. In addition to vitamins A and C, they contain a polyphenol (quercetin) that have strong H+ donating activity. Phenolic acids generally act as antioxidants by trapping free radicals and some plant-derived compounds are better antioxidants than BHA (Butylated Hydroxyl Anisole).

Consequently, natural antioxidants may be useful in the treatment and prevention of chronic infections and diseases. Some Nigerian vegetables are bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina), jute mallow (Corchorus olitorius), spinach (Senecio biafrae), African lettuce (Launnaea taraxacifolia), and pumpkin plant (Telfaria occidentalis).  The message is let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.

Plant haematinics: Sorghum bicolor leaf (red guinea corn) and Theobroma cacao stem bark (Cacao tree) are used in combination as haematinics for the treatment of anaemia, menstrual disorder and other blood-related infections and diseases. The tonic is prepared in the form of decoction, in which the two plant materials are washed thoroughly and boiled in clean water for 20 minutes. The extract can be taken orally after food.

Antiviral botanicals: The indigenous people of Nigeria are knowledgeable in the management of viral infections. Cassia fistula (purging cassia), Phyllanthus amarus (stonebreaker), Lagenaria breviflorus (wild colocynth), Citrullus colocynthis (bitter apple) and Syzygium aromatic (clove) are used for the management and treatment of viral diseases.

Although there is a scarcity of information on scientific validation of antiviral activity of medicinal plants, information on the antiviral activity of some of the above named is available in literature. The plants are prepared as powder, decoction and infusion for therapeutic purposes.

Antimalaria and analgesic herbs: Chincona officinalis (red cinchona) stem bark, Nauclea latifolia (African peach) root, Alstonia boonei (stoolwood) root, and Morinda lucida (brimstone tree) root and leaf are used as antimalaria remedy. Chincona officinalis and other Chincona species contain quinine (hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine) and other alkaloids that are effective for the treatment of malaria fever.

The remedy is usually prepared as decoction or tincture for oral administration. Microdesmis puberula and Calliandra portoricensis (powderpuff) are used as analgesic in malaria, arthritis and rheumatism.

Herbal cough remedy: Garcinia kola (bitter kola) and Bryophyllum pinnatum (miracle leaf) are used traditionally for the treatment of cough. G. kola seeds are soaked in lemon juice in a bottle. One teaspoonful of the remedy is taken three times daily after food.

The leaves of B. pinnatum are put in hot water to make tender and squeezed. Add honey to the leaf juice and drink 100ml of the remedy two times daily after food.

Herbs for respiratory tract infections: Spondias mombin (yellow mombin), Garcinia kola, Calotropis procera (apple of Sodom), Nymphaea lotus (water lily) and Abrus precatorius (water lily) are used for the management and treatment of respiratory tract infections.

The remedies are prepared as leaf juice, infusion, decoction and traditional soup for therapeutic purposes. As an example, an infusion of bitter kola and garlic in clean water is used for the management of respiratory tract infections.

You can read the entire paper here.

Dr. Idayat T. Gbadamosi

Ph.D Botany, Reader

Member, UI COVID-19 Applied Studies

Ethnobotany & Economic Botany Unit

Department of Botany

University of Ibadan

Nigeria

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A woman from Michigan has lost her husband of 35 years and her son to Coronavirus within three days. 

Sandy Brown of Grand Blanc said she’s suffering from 'indescribable grief ' after losing her husband, Freddie Lee Brown Jr. and son Freddie Lee Brown III within a short period of time. 

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“There’s not even a word created to describe my pain. It’s unimaginable,” she said.

According to Detriot News, Sandy's husband fell sick in March, coming down with chills and muscle aches. 

The 59-year-old who had a kidney transplant began having trouble breathing and was admitted to Ascension Genesys Hospital, the outlet reported.

He later tested positive for COVID-19 and was placed on a ventilator. Few days later, Sandy received a call that his lung collapsed and to rush to the hospital, where she learned that doctors were unable to save him, according to the report.

When Nurses told her not to go into his hospital room, she insisted, putting on protective gear to say goodbye to her husband, the newspaper reported.

“I’m going in that room,” she reportedly told them. “I don’t care what I have to do. I’ll sign whatever I need to sign.”

The next day, her 20-year-old son, Freddie III, who had asthma became sick with a fever and a cough. Sandy took him to the same hospital, where his health improved before he began struggling to breathe, the outlet reported.

Three days after her husband’s death, the heartbroken woman received the same call from the hospital asking her to quickly rush down to the hospital, where she was later informed that her son had also succumbed to the virus.

“In three days, I lost my husband and son to an ugly plague,” Sandy told the newspaper. “I watched my son go from completely well and whole and happy to being gone in three days.”

Melinda Gates has warned that there will be dead bodies littering the streets in African countries if the world does not act fast to curb the spread of Coronavirus.

Ms Gates said this while speaking to CNN, on  the novel Coronavirus and its effects in the third world countries.

She said she is worried for Africa and fears that the continent might not be able to handle the devastating effect of COVID-19.

"Its going to be horrible in the developing world," she warned.

“Part of  the reasons you are seeing the case numbers still do not look very bad, is because they don’t have access to many tests.

“Look at what is happening in Ecuador, they are putting bodies out on the streets, you are going to see that in countries in Africa,” Mrs Gates noted.

Melinda Gates, who is also co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, fears things will get worst for Africa once cases peak because of poor health care systems and lack of humanitarian supports.

According to Ms Gates, her worst nightmare was when she “saw what China had to do to isolate enormous part of its population. My first thought was Africa. How in the world are they going to deal with this.”

“I have been in townships all over Africa and slums. When we talk in country physical distancing and hand-washing, if you live in slums who can’t physical distance, you have to go out and get your meals. You don’t have clean water to wash your hands,” she added.

Ecuador said police have removed almost 800 bodies in recent weeks from homes in Guayaquil, the epicenter of the country’s coronavirus outbreak.

The police moved in after the disease overwhelmed emergency services, hospitals and funeral parlours.

Mortuary workers in the Pacific port city have been unable to cope with a backlog, with residents posting videos on social media showing abandoned bodies in the streets.

“The number we have collected with the task force from people’s homes exceeded 700 people,” said Jorge Wated, who leads a team of police and military personnel created by the government to help with the chaos unleashed by COVID-19.

He later said Sunday on Twitter that the joint task force, in operation for the past three weeks, had retrieved 771 bodies from homes and another 631 from hospitals, whose morgues are full.
(watch the video of Ecuador’s coronavirus chaos by DW:

Wated did not specify the cause of death for the victims, 600 of whom have now been buried by the authorities.

Ecuador has recorded 7,500 cases of the coronavirus since the first diagnosis was confirmed on February 29.

The coastal province of Guayas accounts for over 70 percent of those infected in the country, with 4,000 cases in the capital Guayaquil, according to the national government.

The military and police began removing bodies from homes three weeks after the mortuary system in Guayaquil collapsed, causing delays in forensic services and funeral homes under a 15-hour long daily curfew.

Guayaquil residents posted videos on social media of bodies abandoned in the streets, along with messages asking for help to bury their family members.

The Ecuadorian government has taken on the task of burying bodies, given the inability of relatives to do so for various reasons, including financial ones.

In early April, Wated said “medical experts unfortunately… estimate that COVID-19-related deaths in these months will reach between 2,500 and 3,500, just in the province of Guayas.”

A team of researchers from eight institutions in China and the U.S. has offered a fresh insight into why 85 patients died of multiple organ failure after suffering severe COVID-19.

All individuals whose data the team studied received care at either the Hanan Hospital or the Wuhan Union Hospital between January 9 and February 15, 2020.

The researchers came from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital in Beijing, and the University of California – Davis and six other institutions.

Their study uncovered a series of factors that the majority of these patients shared.

The study has been published by the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

The majority were older males

The research team was able to access and analyze the deceased patients’ medical histories, including whether they had any underlying, chronic conditions.

The researchers were also able to find out what symptoms the patients experienced once they had contracted the virus and access information from laboratory tests and CT scans.

They also accessed information about the medical treatment they received while in the hospitals.

They found that 72.9% of those who died with COVID-19 were male, with a median age of 65.8 years and underlying chronic conditions, such as heart problems or diabetes.

“The greatest number of deaths in our cohort were in males over 50 with noncommunicable chronic diseases,” the investigators note.

They found that 72.9% of those who died with COVID-19 were male, with a median age of 65.8 years and underlying chronic conditions, such as heart problems or diabetes. The greatest number of deaths in our cohort were in males over 50 with noncommunicable chronic diseases,” the investigators note.

“We hope that this study conveys the seriousness of COVID-19 and emphasises the risk groups of males over 50 with chronic comorbid conditions, including hypertension (high blood pressure), coronary heart disease, and diabetes,” they have commented.

The team also notes that, among the 85 patients whose records it analyzed, the most common COVID-19 symptoms were fever, shortness of breath, and fatigue.

Some important observations
In terms of other potentially relevant information, the research team found that 81.2% of the study individuals “had very low eosinophil [a type of white blood cells, which are specialized immune cells that help fight infection] counts on admission.

Among the complications that the patients experienced while hospitalised with COVID-19, some of the most common were respiratory failure, shock, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and cardiac arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat.

As part of their treatment, the majority received antibiotics, antivirals, and glucocorticoids, and some received intravenous immunoglobulins (also known as antibodies), or interferon alpha-2b, which is also a stimulant for the immune response.

Yet, the researchers note, “the effectiveness of medications, such as antivirals or immunosuppressive agents, against COVID-19 is not completely known.”

Based on their observations, the authors indicate that treatments, including combinations of antimicrobial drugs, did not appear to have much of a positive effect.

“Perhaps our most significant observation is that while respiratory symptoms may not develop until a week after presentation, once they do there can be a rapid decline, as indicated by the short duration between time of admission and death (6.35 days on average) in our study,” they write.

They also suggest that having abnormally low levels of eosinophils — a condition known as eosinophilopenia — may correlate with a greater risk of severe outcomes in people who have contracted SARS-CoV-2.

While they hope that their current findings may help other doctors better understand and prepare for fighting COVID-19, the researchers nevertheless urge the global scientific community to keep on recording all possible information about people receiving care for this new illness.

“Our study, which investigated patients from Wuhan, China, who died in the early phases of this pandemic, identified certain characteristics,” the researchers say, yet as “the disease has spread to other regions, the observations from these areas may be the same, or different.”

They continue: “Genetics may play a role in the response to the infection, and the course of the pandemic may change as the virus mutates, as well.

“Since this is a new pandemic that is constantly shifting, we think the medical community needs to keep an open mind as more and more studies are conducted.”

Medical News Today