Epidemiology of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in Nigeria

In late December 2019, there was an outbreak of a new Coronavirus infection in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, which caused acute respiratory syndrome of unknown aetiology. The World Health Organization (WHO) named the virus Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV2) or COVID-19 and declared the infection a pandemic on the 11th of March 2020. The first case of COVID-19 in Nigeria was reported on the 27th of February 2020 and since then the numbers of confirmed cases has been on the increase, at least in Nigeria. With no vaccine or cure in sight, only public health measures that include personal protective measures, physical distancing, environmental and travel-related measures have been recommended to mitigate and contain the spread of the disease. There is need to make testing for COVID-19 widely available so that the true burden of the infection will be described. This step should assist policy makers in making evidence-based decisions in the prevention and control of the disease

Comparison of statistical models used for assessing factors associated with infant mortality in Nigeria

Background: Infant mortality is a public health concern especially in developing countries, particularly Nigeria. Different models had been used independently to identify factors associated with infant mortality. Some of the used models sometimes violate the underlying assumption for the models. This study was designed to compare the models that have been previously used and identify the appropriate model using standard model selection criteria to analyse risk factors for infant mortality in Nigeria.Methods: The study utilised 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) data with a sample size of 7107. The NDHS was a stratified two-stage cluster design where a questionnaire was used to collect data on the birth history of women aged 15-49 years. The models employed for this study were: Logit, Probit and Clog-log. The model selection criteria were Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), Residual Deviance and Vuong test. The model with the smallest criteria was considered to be the best fit.Results: The results showed that Infant Mortality in Nigeria can be appropriately modelled by Clog-log model. The models and corresponding AIC values were: Logit (6171.1), Probit (6212.6) and Clog-log (6126.6). The residual deviance included: Logit (6135.1), Probit (6176.6) and Clog-log (6090.6). Clog-log had the smallest AIC and residual deviance values; hence, it was of the best fit. Home delivery and delivery by professionals had negative significant associations with infant mortality while women's education (primary/no education) and birth order had positive significant association, (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The best model for infant mortality evaluation in Nigeria was Clog-log. Generally, improved women's education would significantly reduce Infant Mortality in Nigeria

Prevalence of vulvovaginal candidiasis among women with diabetes mellitus in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria

Background: Diabetes mellitus predisposes to both bacterial and fungal infections, including Candida species. Hitherto, Candida albicans has been identified as the most common opportunistic pathogen among patients with diabetes mellitus. More recently, Non-Candida albicans Candida (NCAC) species are increasingly recognized as the cause of candida infections.Objective: To determine the prevalence of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) as well as the species of Candida frequently identified among women with diabetes mellitus in Ibadan, Nigeria.Methods: A cross-sectional study of 213 women diagnosed with diabetes mellitus was carried out in 2010. Direct microscopy and fungal cultures of high vaginal swabs were done using Sabouraud--Dextrose Agar and ChromAgar.Results: The prevalence of VVC among 213 women with diabetic mellitus was 18.8% (40/213). The predominant Candida species isolated were Candida glabrata (30.0%), C. albicans and C. tropicalis (17.5%) each and C. Gulliermondii (15.0%). Diabetic women had higher rates of moderate and heavy growth of Candida density. Twenty-nine (72.5%) patients with candidiasis were symptomatic and the most common symptom was vulval/vaginal itching 48.3% (14/29.Conclusion: This study put the prevalence rate of VVC among women with diabetes mellitus in Ibadan at 18.8%. The most common Candida species isolated was C.glabrata and majority of the patients were symptomatic