Lagos State Commissioner for Health,Prof. Akin Abayomi said seven private laboratories have been included to improve COVID-19 sample testing in the state.
Abayomi disclosed this on Friday in Lagos, while giving an update on the COVID-19 situation of the state.
He said that the private laboratories were selected through a rigorous accreditation process.
The commissioner listed the laboratories as: Total Medical Services; 54Gene; SynLab; Medbury Medical Services; 02 Medical Services; Biologix Medical Services and Clina Lancent Laboratories.
According to Abayomi, the state took the strategic decision to include private laboratories in its testing of COVID-19 in other to push up its capacity.
Because as the state continuously tries to open up various aspects of its economy, it is highly important that COVID-19 tests is widely available to members of the public.
He, however, said that the state’s COVID-19 response would remain a centrally managed emergency response by the government.
According to him, 9,497 cases have been confirmed COVID-19 positive in Lagos, while 1,470 have been treated and discharged. He revealed that 128 patients, that is 1.3 per cent of patients who tested positive for COVID-19 in Lagos, had died of the virus.
Abayomi also said that between three to five per cent of Lagos residents infected with COVID-19 had an extremely severe to critical form of the virus.
He said,
“We say that most people have a mild to moderate disease, while that might be so, between three to five per cent of Lagosians that got infected with the virus have an extremely severe to critical form of COVID-19″.
“The risk of dying in that percentage is extremely high”.
“Two, three or four per cent might seem like a small percentage, but even, one per cent of 25 million people is too much, that’s about 250, 000 Lagosians”
“We are not prepared to lose 250, 000 Lagosians to the virus, and certainly will not like to contemplate that number.”
He said all citizens, especially those above 50 years old, those with underlying ailments, such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity or any medical conditions that interfere with the immune system, was vulnerable to COVID-19.
The commissioner said that the state had not relaxed its directive for social distancing, unnecessary movements, religious gatherings and opening of schools.
He appealed to residents to support the state government’s efforts by adhering to all social distancing measures and hygiene directed by the government toward reducing the spread of COVID-19.
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