COVID-19: What to know about immunity, reinfection

Why Nigeria can’t provide COVID-19 vaccine now From February when Nigeria recorded its first COVID-19 case many Nigerians felt it was merely a joke. It was when President Muhammadu Buhari announced a lockdown on Lagos, Ogun and the FCT Abuja, that they began accept that the coronavirus was in reality, a cause for concern. Despite […]

• Why Nigeria can’t provide COVID-19 vaccine now

From February when Nigeria recorded its first COVID-19 case many Nigerians felt it was merely a joke. It was when President Muhammadu Buhari announced a lockdown on Lagos, Ogun and the FCT Abuja, that they began accept that the coronavirus was in reality, a cause for concern.

Despite the heavy security presence and appeal by the authorities, some people still said they could not be ‘caged’, hence there is movement all around in spite of the lockdown.

According to a Professor of Medical Virology at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Prof Sunday Omilabu, it is possible for coronavirus to be transmitted after the lockdown if Nigeria has community transmission.

“We need not relent in our efforts to make sure we practice the hygienic way of life. We still have to maintain social distancing, keep using our N95 face mask (for only those who have signs and symptoms).

“Many Nigerians are carrying the virus asymptomatically. All of us will have to practice good hygiene by washing our hands regularly and thoroughly with soap and water. This will make our hands free of the virus.

“We should ensure regular hand washing before eating and we should do the same when we touch surfaces before we touch our faces or nose.

“Hand washing should be our way of life. Any object can carry the virus. Whatever we touch, we should wash our hands thoroughly thereafter. Soap and water will do the magic by ensuring our hands are free of the virus.

“We can’t say that the virus will be completely eliminated. We have to keep waging war and be conscious of the fact that there is a possibility of having the virus around that is why we need to be on the guard, take care of ourselves.

“We still don’t need to mingle and there is a need to reduce the crowd; that is the only way we will stop the virus transmission,” he said.

Prof Omilabu said the Nigerian government needs to put in more efforts to ensure “we don’t allow the virus to stay in our community, adding, “We should stem the community transmission and our minds will be at rest.”

Face mask

The Professor explained that, “Face mask is very ideal to prevent transmission especially for those that are having the signs and symptoms of the disease. Wearing face mask will prevent transmission especially to those who are at risk. It is ideal where we have the virus in the air. It has been shown that the virus can be carried by wind. Ideally, the face mask that can prevent transmission of infection is the N95 face mask; this is the mask that has the correct filter that can filter the virus particles from the air we breathe in.”

 

Immunity

Explaining further, the adjunct Professor of Medical Virology to the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) said, nutrition plays a key role in the rapid development of the immune system. “Viral infections are generally cleared by our body’s defense mechanisms. The body’s immune system fights the viral infection. We can achieve this if we have a well-balanced nutrition such as vitamins, minerals, and we can only get that if we eat nutritious food.

“If we have good immune system, the virus particles will not have the chance of overgrowing in our body. A good immune system clears viral infections faster and better.”

 

Pregnancy/Breastfeeding transmission

The virologist noted that the virus is a localised infection in the respiratory tract and infected mothers do not have the virus in their breast milk. He said COVID-19 is not a systemic viral infection and it takes a longer time before the virus moves into the blood stream and other body fluids. It is a new disease, he said and experts need more studies to know if the virus can get to the fetus.

 

Fumigation

The Lagos University Teaching Hospital virologist explained that fumigation is essential since its essence is to disinfect the environment. He further said, “Fumigation will destroy all the viral pathogens that may be lurking in the vicinity. Once they are destroyed, they are not capable of infecting human beings.

“It is very good for us to fumigate our public places, markets where we feel there is high human traffic to disinfect and destroy all possible COVID-19 viral pathogens in the vicinity. Markets are one of the most important because we have people visiting regularly and we don’t even know if one of the buyers or sellers has the virus. The fumigation will kill the pathogens wherever they may be.”

 

Reinfection

There are speculations that once a COVID-19 survivor recovers, there are chances of reinfection. To this, the virologist said, “If an individual is well diagnosed and monitored till he is discharged, there will be no case of reinfection because that person must have developed adequate immunity against the virus. The chances of reinfection are very remote. Before an individual is discharged, such person must have tested negative on two consecutive occasions. That person must have adequate immunity before being discharged.

“An individual is only discharged when they are no longer circulating the virus in their saliva and sputum. There is no cause for alarm and no cause for reinfection. Once an individual has fully recovered, the organs too will recover and the immunity will clear all the virus particles.”

 

Made-in-Nigeria vaccine

Prof Omilabu, stressed that there is no enabling environment for Nigerian scientists/researchers to develop a vaccine. “A lot of resources and fund are needed to provide for a vaccine and the economy is not buoyant to provide that. The manufacturers are not encouraged to bring their resources to carry out such development. It is a capital-intensive project.

“Our industrialists are not ready to put their money into such venture that will take several years before they can be licensed for commercial purposes. It takes a minimum of 10 to 15 years before a good vaccine is made available. Those are the reasons the Nigerian researchers are not venturing into it,” he explained.

 

Local herbs

The expert urged Nigerians to be very cautious in the use of local herbs.  “We should use local herbs that are licensed by NAFDAC and also limit ourselves to only that, to avoid herbs that may be poisonous or destroy our organs,” he said.