Through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States Government has approved an additional $2.1million for COVID-19 containment in Nigeria.
Between September and November, the fund will be used for a household survey to determine the extent of COVID-19 transmission in Gombe, Enugu, and Nasarawa States.
The results of the survey will be expected by December.
The US Embassy in Nigeria released a statement saying that the survey will increase the current understanding of COVID-19 transmission and burden in those three states.
“The survey will estimate the proportion of the population in these states who have ever been infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19 disease. This will be accomplished by measuring the presence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in the blood of volunteers.
“These antibodies, specialized proteins produced by the immune system to fight infection, are generated as part of the body’s response to COVID-19 and are an indication of previous infection.
“The survey will also estimate the proportion of people who have the disease but are not showing any symptoms, determine risk factors for infection, and measure the intra-household transmission of COVID-19. The survey will also estimate the prevalence of malaria and its potential relationship to SARS-CoV-2 infection.”
For those who are willing to volunteer, testing for COVID-19 infection and antibodies will be done at the National Reference Laboratory in Gaduwa, Abuja while a rapid malaria test will be done immediately and treatment offered if malaria is positive.
