PTF Pleads With Recovered COVID-19 Patients to Stop Making Public Drugs Used in their Treatment

The Chairman, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Mr. Boss Mustapha, has pleaded with recovered COVID-19 patients to stop revealing the drugs used in treating them at the isolation centres.

Mustapha who made the plea on Friday in Abuja when reacting to questions on video testimonies of recovered patients at the Task Force’s daily Press briefing said such could encourage other people to engage in self medication.

“The PTF congratulates and appreciates the testimonies of Nigerians who have recovered from COVID-19, which has given us more insights and further strengthens the need to adhere strictly to guidelines issued. However, an emerging issue from all these testimonies is the issue of prescription for treatments. We should always remember that the symptoms of COVID-19 mimic some illnesses we already know but treating the symptoms is not the same as treating the virus. For this reason, we strongly discourage self-medication,” he said.

Mustapha also said that nine local government areas in the country account for 51 percent of the COVID-19 cases in the country.

“Let me say that our preliminary analysis has narrowed down the over 51 per cent of the total number of infected persons to nine Local Government Areas across the country and all of them are densely populated. This indicates that a critical element of our taming this pandemic is to reduce opportunities for large gathering, sustaining the ban on inter-state movement, the nationwide curfew and complying with the measures prescribed- wash your hands as frequently as necessary; use hand sanitisers; maintain social distancing, use a face mask or covering in public places,” he said