Tessy Igomu
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has released a new case definition to guide the management of COVID-19 in the country.
The case definition, which was released on Monday, classified cases and their associated symptoms into clinical and epidemiological criteria.
According to the NCDC, a suspected case must have clinical criteria that include an acute onset of any two or more symptoms of fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat/pharyngitis, headache, difficulty breathing/dyspnea and nausea.
Others include loss of taste, loss of smell, general weakness/fatigue, diarrhoea, chest pain, vomiting, chills/sweating, muscle pain/myalgia, wheezing, abdominal pain and altered mental status.
Epidemiological criteria for a ‘suspected case’, the case definition stated, is someone residing or working in a setting with high risk of transmission of the virus.
“For example, closed residential settings and humanitarian settings, such as camp and camp-like settings for displaced persons, any time within the 14 days before symptom onset.
“Residing in or travelled to a country, state, LGA with community transmission as classified by the NCDC, anytime within the 14 days before symptom onset; OR 3. Working in a health setting, including within health facilities anytime within the 14 days before symptom onset.
“A patient with severe acute respiratory illness (SARI: acute respiratory infection with history of fever or measured fever of more than 38 C°; and cough; with onset within the last 10 days; and who requires hospitalisation) or with chest imaging showing findings suggestive of COVID-19 disease.
“A person not meeting epidemiological criteria with a positive SARS-CoV-2 antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic test (Ag-RDT), irrespective of any symptoms.
“Close contact of a confirmed case, irrespective of any symptoms,” it stated.
The NCDC described a ‘probable case’ as a suspect case who dies prior to the collection of a valid sample, while a ‘confirmed case’ is anyone with laboratory Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) confirmation of COVID-19 infection with or without signs and symptoms.
The agency noted that a ‘contact’ is anyone who during the two days before and the 14 days after the onset of symptoms of a probable or confirmed case, came face-to-face contact with a probable or confirmed case within one metre and for more than 15 minutes; had direct physical contact with a probable or confirmed case; carried out direct care for a patient with probable or confirmed COVID-19 disease without proper use of personal protective equipment, or was exposed to other situations indicated by local risk assessments.
The case definition noted specifically that for confirmed asymptomatic cases, the period of contact should be measured as the two days before, through the 14 days after the date on which the sample was taken, which led to confirmation.
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