Chikwe Ihekweazu, director-general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, who was reportedly quarantined over the coronavirus outbreak has issued a statement on Twitter since returning from China.
In two tweets, which showed photos of his mission in China, on Wednesday, March 4, 2020, Ihekweazu said going to China was something that had to be done despite the coronavirus outbreak in that country.
“Since our return, I have shared lessons from the mission to China with the leadership of @Fmohnigeria and the #NCDCTeam Currently, the number of new cases in China is less than the number of new cases outside of China. The country did something right that we can learn from,” he tweeted.
“Going to China during a large outbreak was not an easy decision to make. But it is what we do. In Nigeria, nearly every week, I approve the deployment of Teams to investigate and respond to outbreaks. When our expertise is needed at the global level, we will contribute.”
Going to China during a large outbreak was not an easy decision to make. But it is what we do.
In Nigeria, nearly every week, I approve the deployment of Teams to investigate and respond to outbreaks. When our expertise is needed at the global level, we will contribute to this. pic.twitter.com/ufPTgdJoWK
— Chikwe Ihekweazu (@Chikwe_I) March 4, 2020
The health minister on Tuesday, March 3, 2020, had announced that Ihekweazu had been quarantined on his return from China as a precautionary measure.
However, the NCDC debunked the news and said that its director-general only went into self-isolation for 14 days a precautionary health protocol and that he tested negative of the virus when he arrived in Nigeria.
Ihekweazu has said that he shared lessons from China’s fight against coronavirus with the ministry of health on his return to the country.
The health official was in China where he was a part of the World Health Organisation, WHO, mission. and he is on his 8th day of isolation.
