COVID 19: South Korea returns to normal activities, Nigeria’s cases surpass 3000, other updates on deadly the coronavirus
On South Korea
South Korea returned largely to normal Wednesday as workers went back to offices, and museums and libraries reopened under eased social distancing rules after new coronavirus cases dropped to a trickle.
The South endured one of the worst early outbreaks of the disease outside China and while it never imposed a compulsory lockdown, strict social distancing had been widely observed since March.
Employees were urged to work from home where possible while the new school term was postponed from its March start.
Scores of events — from K-pop concerts to sports seasons– were delayed or cancelled, while museums and galleries were closed and religious services suspended.
But the South appears to have brought its outbreak under control thanks to an extensive “trace, test and treat” programme that has drawn widespread praise.
In a population of 51 million, its death toll is little more than 250, and new cases have slowed to just a handful — 13 in the past three days, all of them arriving international passengers. More than 90 of the South’s imported cases are returning citizens.
At least 100 people visited the National Museum of Korea in Seoul on Wednesday morning, and the first visitors of the day — a married couple — were given a bouquet of flowers by staff.
“Many of our colleagues also came back to work today, so we are very excited about the reopening, we are very happy,” museum spokeswoman Lee Hyun-ju told AFP.
Some workers were bittersweet about going back to the office.
“I wanted to go home as soon as I sat down at my desk in the office today. But there is also this weird sense of stability,” wrote one Twitter poster.
Another tweeted: “I feel like my holidays are now over.”
The South reported two new infections on Wednesday, taking the total to 10,806, the Korea Centers for Disease Control said.
Some professional sports, including baseball and soccer, are starting their new seasons this week after being postponed over virus fears, although the matches will be played behind closed doors.
Schools are to reopen in stages starting from May 13.
Paulo Dybala
Juventus star Paulo Dybala has been given the all-clear over six weeks after contracting the coronavirus, the Italian champions confirmed on Wednesday.
“Dybala performed, as per protocol, a double check with diagnostic tests (swabs) for Coronavirus-Covid 19, which came back with negative results,” Juventus said in a statement.
“The player has, therefore, recovered and will no longer be subjected to the home isolation regime.”
Dybala, 26, was one of three Juventus players to test positive along with Italy defender Daniele Rugani and France’s Blaise Matuidi.
Rugani was the first Italian top-flight footballer diagnosed with the virus on March 11, but both him and World Cup winner Matuidi recovered in mid-April.
Dybala was diagnosed on March 22, along with his girlfriend Oriana, who recovered sooner from the disease, which has killed nearly 30,000 people in Italy.
On Nigeria
Nigeria has surpassed 3,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases, and fatalities have reached 103 just a few months after the novel coronavirus first arrived in Lagos.
This was announced by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC early hours of today.
Nigeria has 21,208 samples tested in its ongoing campaign against the deadly COVID-19, which is far less than Ghana and South Africa that have conducted over 100,000 and close to 200,000 testings so far, with South Africa increasing its daily tests to more than 10,000 a day.
The latest update by NCDC shows that Nigeria recorded 195 new cases of #COVID19; 82-Lagos 30-Kano 19-Zamfara 18-Sokoto 10-Borno 9-FCT 8-Oyo 5-Kebbi 5-Gombe 4-Ogun 3-Katsina 1-Kaduna 1-Adamawa.
With the latest reported cases, Nigeria now has 3,145 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 534 have been discharged, 103 deaths have been recorded
Bauchi Governor uses Chloroquine to cure himself
Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed says he has no apologies for backing the use of Chroloquine and Zithromax to treat coronavirus patients in his state.
The ex-Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, who was the state’s Covid-19 index case, had said he was treated with the drugs while in self-isolation, after he tested positive for the killer virus on March 23.
And Mohammed said he suffered criticism for authorising the use of the drugs to treat the disease in the state.
However, the governor said he did not recommend any self-medication.
He said, “Pertaining what I said about the use of chloroquine, Zinc, Zithromax and Vitamin C for the treatment of COVID-19. I was misquoted. I was once a COVID-19 patient. How did I get cured? I only made a recommendation and it was not a recommendation of the committee for COVID-19 in the state.
“I have no apologies for saying that I used chloroquine, Zinc, Zithromax and Vitamin C to get cured, but Allah cured me.
“It is not Chloroquine or anything, many countries are using modern medicine to combat the pandemic. It is common knowledge that COVID-19 has no vaccine and drugs, we are just groping in the dark. But if you have symptoms of fever, you take chloroquine and cure it.
“If you have symptoms of infection, you take Zithromax and cure it. If you have symptoms of weakness, you can take Panadol to cure it. You don’t need a doctor. However, doctors are prescribing.
“I did not take these drugs on my own, I took them based on the recommendation.”
