Lagos to commence chloroquine clinical trial

Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, on Friday, said that plans have been concluded to commence hydroxychloroquine (chloroquine) clinical trial next week for treatment of COVID-19 patients in the state.

Abayomi said this during a media briefing on the update of COVID-19 in the state, held in Alausa, Ikeja.

He also noted that with the current trend, the COVID-19 cases in Lagos is expected to reach its peak by July or August while predicting the megacity and epicentre of the COVID-19 in Nigeria will record between 90,000 and 120,000 cases.

Abayomi stated that Lagos has expanded its testing capacity testings to reach large number of people aimed at flattening the curve.

He attributed the sharp rise in cases being recorded to the decentralisation of sample collection across the 20 Local Governments Areas of the state.

According to him, if the government had not been proactive, the Lagos would have by now recorded 6,000 cases rather than the 1,491 cases recorded so far.

Abayomi disclosed that Alimosho, Oshodi, and Isolo have begun to record a high rate of COVID-19 cases.

He, however, noted that 97 per cent of positive cases at its isolation centres were mild and moderate cases.