COVID-19: Kwara Govt. to open sample collection centres across 16 LGAs

The Kwara Government has said COVID-19 sample collection centres would be opened across the 16 local government area of the state.
Dr Oluwatosin Fakayode, Director of Public Health, Kwara Ministry of Health, said this at a meeting with traditional leaders and religious bodies in Ilorin on Tuesday.
Fakayode said that the state government planned to scale up the collection centres so that more people could be tested for COVID-19.
“This is to improve the testing capacity that we have. We will commence this in the next few days.
“Some health workers have been under going training for this,’ he said.
Fakayode disclosed that about 6000 people have so far been tested, and that the government would continue to scale up for more testing.
According to him, research conducted on those who contracted COVID-19, indicated a higher number of men got infected, 58 per cent while the women was 48 per cent.
“The youngest case recorded was that of a two-month-old baby and the oldest was a 93- year-old man, who succumb to the virus,” he said.
Fakayode disclosed that majority of those who died from the disease were above 50 years of age.
The Public Health expert pointed out that a distinct symptom that most of the COVID-19 case reported was loss of taste and loss of smell.
He said that not all patients come down with fever, and other attendants symptoms of the disease.
Fakayode therefore appealed to the traditional leaders and religious bodies to partner and support government’s effort in flattening the curve of COVID-19 transmission in the state.
“The role of royal fathers is to serve as advocates. They can help to make the work of health workers easier across the communities.
“Traditional rulers should be involved in surveillance, and alert the authorities when there is need for that,” he said.
Fakayode also urged them to mitigate stigma attached to the COVID-19 infection, adding that once an individual is tested negative after contracting the disease, he is certified okay.